The fire of life can easilly be distinguished
by Ryou-Ran
Summary: Something terrible happens to Ryou's father... how will Ryou and his friends deal with it? And what will Yami-Bakura do?
1. Default Chapter

Ah, do I finally get the opportunity to write my first fic. Be gentle with me, okay?  
  
Ryou-Ran: Ah, my dearest Ryou, how do you feel today?  
  
Ryou: Fine... I guess.  
  
Ryou-Ran: Why "I guess"?  
  
Ryou: Because I don't like the way you are leering at me and grinning evilly.  
  
Ryou-Ran: Do I grin evilly? (Grins evilly)  
  
Yami-Bakura: Yes, you are and I can tell; I'm The King Of Evil Grins!  
  
Ryou-Ran: I thought you were The King Of Thieves.  
  
Yami-Bakura: Well, that too. But it gives you a great sense of power!  
  
Ryou: What, grinning evilly?  
  
Yami-Bakura: --"No, being a King.  
  
Ryou-Ran: Oh... well... whatever. Let's start the fic.  
  
Yami-Bakura: I'm The King Of Disclamers too. Ahem: Ryou-Ran does not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! characters, thank Ra for that.  
  
The Light Dies Out  
  
Class 2A was doing a test in their classroom. The sun was shining outside and the people inside were all grumpy, finding having to do a test at such a beautiful day a great bummer.  
  
Tristan was bent over his papers and sighed. He was never good at mathematics, but now he was convinced he was absolutely going to screw it up. He sucked on the end of his pen and eventually swallowed a mouthfull of ink. He began to cough, thus getting death-glares from several of his classmates.  
  
Yugi was doing it quite well and kept writing with a little smile on his face. Tea had already given her papers to the teacher and Joey was mumbling furiously and had made a whole scratch on his paper.  
  
Yugi leaned back to give his fingers some rest and looked at the back of the person sitting at the desk before his. He looked at the long, white hair of the boy. "I wonder if that Yami is still bugging him". Yugi thought. "He has been sick for a few days again." Yugi decided to let it go and threw himself on his test again.  
  
Ryou Bakura wiped a few white locks out of his field of vision and focussed on his test again. He had felt the feeling of eyes staring at his back moments before. That always made him nervous. He felt the cord of his Millennium Ring around his neck and hoped his Yami was asleep, and not reading his thoughts. The teacher wandered around the classroom and looked over the shoulders of her students. Tristan was grumbling something and made another correction, while Yugi was calmly writing formulas down. Joey had absentmindedly drawn a Red-Eyes-Black-Dragon on his paper. Tea was doing her homework. The teacher stopped at Ryou's side. She watched his pale hand write neat Kanji down on his paper. She smiled and lay her hand on Ryou's shoulder.  
  
Ryou stretched his back with a start. His body stiffened. He looked up, a scared expression on his face. When he saw it was just the teacher his face relaxed and a little smile appeared on his lips. He bent over his papers again.  
  
The teacher strolled over to her desk and sat down. Ryou concerned her. He was often sick and the way he reacted when she lay her hand on his shoulder scared her. Something was going on with that boy, but she did not know what. She looked at him work and decided to let is rest for a while and ask about it later.  
  
Somebody knocked on the door. "Come in." The teacher said. A girl with a phone entered."There's a phonecall, ma'am."she said. "The class in doing a test at the moment, Tazuka." The teacher replied. "No time for phonecalls." "But, ma'am, It's an urgent phonecall for Ryou Bakura." Tazuka said. Ryou raised his head. Everybody looked at him. "Something has happened to his father."Tazuka continued.  
  
A loud crash cut through the silence in the classroom. Ryou had leapt up and had accidentally thrown his desk to the floor. He rushed over to Tazuka. Tazuka handed him the phone. "Ryou Bakura speaking."Ryou almost snarled into the phone. "What's going on?" The person on the other end of the line answered. Ryou paled. His jaw fell. His eyes grew to the size of saucers.  
  
His fingers lost their grip on the phone. The device clattered to the floor.  
  
Ryou swayed and fell face-first to the floor.  
  
Ryou: My father?! You...  
  
Ryou-Ran: Shut up, Ryou. You'll reveal everything to the readers.  
  
Ryou: (sobs) sob...  
  
Yami-Bakura: What did you do to his father?  
  
Ryou-Ran: (Whispers in Yami-Bakura's ear)  
  
Yami-Bakura: Ooh, yeah, that sounds good!  
  
Ryou-Ran: Well, Yami-Bakura likes it... a good sign? I don't know. What has happened to Ryou's father? Find out in the next exiting episode of Dragonball Z! Uh... I mean: Please review and you'll find out. 


	2. One tiny flame

Ah, I got one review already. Thank you, HieiKeiko! That's a pretty name, by the way. What does it mean?  
  
Ryou: (sits in the corner of the room, sobbing silently)  
  
Ryou-Ran: Ryou, daijobu desu ka? (are you okay?)  
  
Ryou: No, what do you think! Snirf!  
  
Yami Bakura: Oh, don't be a weakling, yadonushi Bakura. Sheesh, it's always the same thing with you mortals. (snorts)  
  
Ryou-Ran: (slaps an arm around Ryou's shoulder) Lighten up, Ryou. It's just a ficcie. Go home and you'll find your Dad right there.  
  
Ryou: R-really?  
  
Ryou-Ran: Sure! Why don't you go and check it out?  
  
Ryou: I can't. Yami Bakura just ate the doorknob.  
  
Ryou-Ran: OO Yami! That's my doorknob! Antisocial, arrogant freak!  
  
Yami Bakura: Oh, I love it when people pay me compliments. (closes his eyes and seems to listen intensely)  
  
Ryou-Ran: --"I forgot... he's proud of it. Anyway, hold on, here comes the disclamer!  
  
Disclamer: (falls out of the ceiling, on Yami Bakura's head. It says: Ryou- Ran does not own Yu-Gi-Oh!) Blonk!  
  
Yami-Bakura: Tweet! (looks incredibly crossed-eyed)  
  
One tiny flame.  
  
"Bakura-kun!" Tristan shouted. He could just grab Ryou under the armpits, thus preventing him from falling to the floor and hurting himself. He gently lay Ryou down. Yugi removed Ryou's jacket, folded it up and lay it underneath Ryou's head. He gently patted him on the cheek to wake him up. The teacher had picked up the phone and held it against her ear. "What's going on?"she asked. "The father of Ryou Bakura has had a car-accident. He might die." the person on the other end of the line said. "How's the boy doing?" "He fainted... Good lord!" the teacher breathed. "An accident? What can you tell about his condition?" "We don't know very much." The man answered. "We do know his longes are damaged pretty badly, and his head too. If he survives he may stay handicapped for the rest of his life. IF he survives."  
  
Ryou felt someone slap him in the face. He opened his eyes, but closed them again. The light was too bright for him. "Bakura-kun? Kan you hear me?" a familiar voice said. Ryou opened his eyes a bit and vaguely saw the form of Yugi's star-shaped hair. He shot up, giving Joey a headbutt. "Yugi, tell me it's not true... tell me I dreamed everything!" he anxiously cried. He grabbed Yugi's wrist tightly. Little Yugi grabbed Ryou's hand and stroked it. "I can't." He softly said. Ryou released Yugi's small hand. His brown eyes glazed over and were filled with tears. He buried his face in his hands and began crying. "Why does this have to happen to Bakura-san?" Téa sadly asked.  
  
"Stop crying, you idiot!" a harsh voice only Ryou could hear suddenly came. "Crying like that won't bring your 'Daddy' back to life." "Leave me alone, Yami Bakura." Ryou sobbed. "Don't you think I'm going through enough already? Do you absolutly have to torment me right now?" "Of course!" Yami Bakura replied. "I'll make you grow weaker and weaker until you can't resist me any more. Only you and that crazy Pharaoh are in my way. So when you have grown weak enough I'll be one step closer to obtaining all seven Millennium Items." He laughed evilly.  
  
Ryou suddenly surprised everybody by yanking his T-shirt off. It revealed the Millennium Ring hanging innocently on his chest. The five pendants jingled, a cheerful sound. Ryou took the Ring off and held it in his hands. He looked at it. The eye at the center of the piramide seemed to look back at him. Ryou's face was suddenly turned into a horrible mask of anger. He held the Ring above his head and threw it away with a furious scream. The Ring hit the wall, bounced off and flew back in Ryou's direction, the cord swirling around his neck again. Ryou hung his head, a powerless look on his delicate face. "You can't get rid of me." Yami Bakura hissed. "It is the destiny of the Ring to stay with you. I need you."  
  
Later Yugi had taken Ryou to the Turtle Game Shop. He thought Ryou should not stay alone after what had happened. Yugi's mother came in with a cup of tea. "Here. This will calm you down a bit." She said and handed the cup to Ryou. Ryou took it, but did not drink. He gave a trembling sigh and stared at a point far away. He thought of what his Yami had said to him. Was Yami Bakura responsible for the accident? He felt something hot on his legs and saw he had spilled some tea from his cup. He emptied it quickly, not caring about the hot fluid burning his tongue. He did not care about anything. Only about his father.  
  
Yami Bakura: (Is sitting on a chest) Shriek!  
  
Ryou-Ran: What is that idiot up to?  
  
Ryou: I believe he thinks he's a bat.  
  
Yami Bakura: (Prepares to dive) Creeck! Ryou-Ran: Oh Ra... he's not going to...  
  
Ryou: I think he is going to fly!  
  
Yami Bakura: (flaps those four little "wings" that stick up and dives)  
  
Ryou: YOWWW!  
  
Yami Bakura: CRASH!  
  
Ryou-Ran: My floor! My carpet! My God! My... whatever!  
  
Ryou: My Yami!  
  
Ryou-Ran: That too.  
  
Yami-Bakura: My head!  
  
Ryou-Ran: Added to the list.  
  
Yami Bakura: This is crazy.  
  
Ryou-Ran: And for once you're right, dear Yami Bakura. (This to the persons who read the story) Please review. Did Yami Bakura cause the accident? Will Ryou's father survive? Will Ryou ever drink tea again? Wait until next episode! More Medabots, more pow.... Geeez! 


	3. Twin Dokurider

Yipee, two more reviews! Thanks, Murai! You made my whole day good again!  
  
Ryou-Ran: Okay, this chapter is going to be called "Twin Dokurider".  
  
Marik: Do I get a piece of the action, then?  
  
Ryou-Ran: Sure. All the good guys do. That's what they are good guys for. (After Battle-Ship Marik becomes a friend of Yugi's)  
  
Marik: Yay, I'm so happy!  
  
Yami Bakura: I'm very sorry to spoil the fun (grins evilly), but what does the Dokurider have to do with Omote Bakura's father?  
  
Ryou: What are you going to do to meeeeee!  
  
Ryou-Ran: OO N-nothing, just taking you for a ride. (backs away from Ryou, who's going a bit very crazy)  
  
Ryou: I've had enough of this! I'm going to throw myself out of the window! (Throws himself out of the window)  
  
Marik: Bakura-Kun, we're on the first floor!  
  
Pair of legs: (stick up behind the window)  
  
Yami Bakura: (Leans out of the window, reaches out and plucks a very dusty Ryou out of the soil) Too stupid to even kill himself.  
  
Ryou: (spits out a snail) Cough... couldn't you tell me we're on the first floor?  
  
Yami Bakura: (catches snail in his mouth and swallows it whole)  
  
Ryou-Ran: That's a poisonous snail, idiot!  
  
Yami Bakura: No problem. I'm dead, remember.  
  
Ryou-Ran: Do whatever you like. As long as you...  
  
Yami Bakura: Yaaarrgh!  
  
Ryou-Ran: ... don't throw up on my carpet! Help! Someone save me!  
  
Ryou: Oh, look, Yami Bakura spat the disclamer on the floor.  
  
Disclamer: (stinks) Ryou-Ran does not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! characters.  
  
Ryou-Ran: Let's get on with the ficcie before I hang myself.  
  
Twin Dokurider "You spilled on your pants, Bakura-Kun."Yugi said. "I'll get you a cloth so you can dry them." But Ryou just sat and chewed on his fingers. He could hear his Yami snort angrily. "Aah, how cute. They are all going to help you." Yami Bakura said. "So typical..." "Go away." Ryou growled to him. "Hoh, that's why I don't ever establish friendship with any mortal. They live and die. They all will." Yami Bakura muttered. "They need others to survive. I can live on my own. I don't need anybody." "You need me, remember?" Ryou angrily snarled. "A Yami can't live without his Hikari! You can't live without me!" "Oh, getting cocky?" Yami Bakura asked, trying to sound like he had been surprised. "Correction: I need your body. I do not need you. I can send you to the Shadow Realm whenever I want and nothing will happen to me." "Then why haven't you done it?" Ryou shouted. "Because I needed you to get closer to Yugi. To get closer to the Millennium Puzzle. Yugi trusts you. And I like seeing you suffer." Ryou shut his eyes firmly and grabbed in his hair. "What have you done to my father?" he cried. "Nothing, Yadonushi. Nothing. But I did do something to those rubber things underneath his stinking metal sarcofage." Yami Bakura grinned. Ryou looked up. "You mean you cut the tires of his car?" he breathlessly asked. "I guess so. I don't know about those things." His other half said. "I hold you responsible to my father's accident! You caused it!" Ryou screamed.  
  
Yugi came back from the kitchen and saw Ryou was tightly holding the Ring in his hands. He felt his Millennium Puzzle grow warm. He wondered what Ryou was doing.  
  
"Oooooh, you hold me responsible?" Yami Bakura sneered. "And what are you going to do? Go to the palace-guards... "We call that police." Ryou snapped. "... Police and say "The evil spirit that lives inside this Millennium Ring caused the accident"? Nobody is going to believe you! They'll think you have gone insane by what has happened!" Yami Bakura asked, every word stabbing like a knife in Ryou's back.  
  
Ryou opened his eyes. The evil laugh of his Yami sounded through his head and then died. "It is true." He thought. "There's nothing I can do."  
  
Marik walked into the Turtle Game Shop and noticed there was nobody inside. "Helloooo!" he shouted. "Yugi? It's me, Marik Ishtar!" Yugi's grandfather, Solomon Muto walked in. He had a sad look on his face. "Hello. The shop is closed today." He said. "I'm a friend of Yugi's. I just came from Egypt and decided to pay him a visit." Marik told him. "Oh, well, Yugi is in the back." Solomon said. He walked away, hanging his head.  
  
Marik walked through the shop and entered the living room behind it. He saw Yugi, Joey, Tristan, Tea and Yugi's mother standing around Ryou Bakura, who was sitting on the floor. Ryou cried. "Yugi? What is going on? Why so many sad faces?" Marik asked. "Why is Bakura crying?" Yugi walked in his direction, took him by the elbow and led to the next room. "Bakura's father has had an accident. He might die." He told Marik. Marik's purple eyes widened in shock. "No!" he said. Yugi nodded. "It broke Ryou's heart. If his father dies... I don't know what he'll do." Marik poked his head around the corner and looked at Ryou's wet face. He brought out his Millennium Rod. "I wish I could help him! But I can't!" he said.  
  
The phone rang. Mrs Muto took it and went to the kitchen. A few moments later she appeared again. "Ryou, that was Domino Hospital." She said. Ryou looked up, hope growing in his eyes. "His condition hasn't changed, but you are allowed to visit him." Mrs Muto told him. Ryou leapt up. "I've got to go there right now."he said. "I want to see my father." "I came here on the motorcycle. I'll bring you there." Marik said. He underhanded Ryou a helmet. Ryou caught it, then placed it on his head. The two locks hanging besides his face peeked out from underneath it.  
  
Marik and Ryou went outside and climbed on the motorcycle. "Bakura-Kun!" Yugi said. "Good luck! I hope your father will live." Ryou said nothing, but nodded. Yugi could see two sad brown eyes behind the glass of the helmet. "Hold on, Bakura. We're going." Marik said. Ryou slapped his arms around Marik's waist. Marik hit the gass and the bike sped away, the two boys sitting on it like a twin Dokurider.  
  
Ryou-Ran: Whew! Done! Ah, I got the idea of Yami Bakura causing the accident while writing.  
  
Yami Bakura: Blech blech blech.  
  
Ryou-Ran: Haven't you spat enough, Yami?  
  
Yami Bakura: Yes, but I've got such an evil taste in my mouth... I want some tasty blood to wash it away!  
  
Marik: Oops! I'm outa here! I promised Ishizu to... uh... feed the scarabees!"  
  
Ryou-Ran: (grabs Marik by the collar and yanks him back) Oh, no, Marik, You ain't going nowhere! I need you for the next chapter!  
  
Marik: Ghaaak! Please... have... mercy!  
  
Ryou: Help! Vampire! Bat! Bloodsucking monster! (Is been chased around the room by Yami Bakura)  
  
Ryou-Ran: Yami Bakura! Leave your Hikari alone!  
  
Yami Bakura: (has a random insane look on his face) Or what?  
  
Ryou-Ran: (brings out pencil and eraser) Or I'll erase your clothes and draw you a pink tutu!  
  
Yami Bakura: OO Noooo! No tutu! I'll leave Yadonushi Bakura alone! But please no pink tutuhuhu!  
  
Ryou: (wipes his forehead with a white handkerchief with red hearts on it) Phew! Thank you, Ryou-Ran.  
  
Ryou-Ran: You're welcome. Lovely handkerchief, by the way.  
  
Ryou: Oh, yeah, Yugi gave it to me.  
  
Ryou-Ran: Will Ryou's father survive? Is Ryou going to tell anybody about what Yami Bakura told him? Don't miss the next episode of Digimon, Digital.... SCRAAACH!  
  
Yami Bakura: And review, or I'll send you to the Shadow Re- BLONG!  
  
Marik: (has hit him on the head with his Rod) Geez! People are so agressive these days. 


	4. The scent of melting rubber

Six reviews! And I've changed the settings, so anonymous people can review too. Geez, I really was wide awake the past few days. Oh, the person I call "Marik" is who others call "Malik", because I've got some nasty memories involving that name. (a boy called Malik stalked me a few years ago) Besides, I stick to the TV names. Exept for Ryou's. He doesn't have a first name on TV. (Angers me) This is going to be a philosophical chapter, with lots of Marik-thinking. A certain friend of mine, whose name I shall not mention, because I'm not sure if Murai wants me to , likes Marik, that's why.  
  
Yami Bakura: (is sitting in a corner of the room, with a giant pout)  
  
Ryou-Ran: Hey, Ryou, what's wrong with your Yami?  
  
Ryou: He's sad because he is not allowed to send Murai-Sakura to the Shadow Realm. And after that Marik hit him with his Millennium Rod and then DreamingChild gave him a blow too. And he's not allowed to send her to the Shadow Realm either, because she reviewed.  
  
Ryou-Ran: Aw, poor Yami Bakura. (Giggle giggle) Hee, Yami, Marik is going to fish. Why don't you join him? Then you can go and fish, and conspire about a new way to conquer the world.  
  
Yami Bakura: Okay! Conspiring makes me happy! (fishes the doorknob he had spat out out of the muck on the floor, opens the door and goes to the roof)  
  
Marik: (Is on the roof, holding a fishing rod and a Millennium Rod)  
  
Ryou: (goes to get a bucket of water) We should clean this mess up.  
  
Suddenly, from above: Hey! I've caught a tricolored starfish!  
  
Yami Bakura: Haul it in! (pulls fishing rod)  
  
Marik: Okay! (Pulls Millennium Rod)  
  
Yami Bakura: No, the other rod, fool!  
  
Marik: UUUUNGH!  
  
Yami Bakura: EEEEERGH!  
  
Yami: (is been fished up by his hair) Eeeeeeey!  
  
Yami Bakura: My Ra, that's an ugly fish.  
  
Marik: It looks like the Pharaoh!  
  
Yami: (is been held ten feet above the ground) I am the Pharaoh! And put me down right now!  
  
Yami Bakura and Marik: (Look at eachother) Okay. (Release rod)  
  
Yami: (falls) AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH! (Impact)  
  
Ground: (trembles)  
  
Everybody: (is been launched four inches in the sky)  
  
Marik: (begins to slide down the roof, makes a tripple salto mortale, a double flick-flack and lands neatly on his feet)  
  
Yami: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH! (is on the floor)  
  
Yami Bakura: (slowly floats down, using his four "wings") I believe I can fly.... I believe I can touch the sky....  
  
Yami: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!  
  
Ryou: OO"  
  
Ryou-Ran: Yami! YAMI! YOU'RE ON THE GROUND ALREADY!  
  
Yami: (abruptly stops screaming) Oh. Uh, ahem. Trust in the Heart of the Cards and everything will be alright, ehm, yes, ehm right, ehm, okay, ehm, hai, ehm...  
  
Ryou: I think he came down a little too hard.  
  
Ryou-Ran: --"Good, let's start the fic.  
  
Marik: I caught the disclamer! It says: eh... Damn! It's not Egyptian!  
  
Ryou: OO It does?  
  
Ryou-Ran: Good grieves! It says: Ryou-Ran does not own Yu-Gi-Oh! And now we'll start the fic!  
  
The scent of melting rubber  
  
The motorcycle raced through the strees of Domino City, a boy with bronze skin and blonde hair steering it and a skinny boy wearing a blue school uniform on the back. The white hair of the blue boy billowed in the wind.  
  
"Bakura, what way now?" Marik, who did not know the way, asked. "To the left!" Ryou shouted. He tightly held on to Marik, who was going way to fast. Marik parked the bike in front of the hospital and followed Ryou inside.  
  
The lady behind the service counter saw two boys wearing helmets coming in. One of them had a helmet that did not cover his face. She saw tattoos underneath his eyes, earrings and he wore a top that was a little too short and leather pants. The other boy wore a helmet that did cover his face. The woman shivered a bit. She did not like those rough types that always raced around on the bike. The boy with the covered face walked over to her and took his helmet off. She was surprised when she saw a sweet, pale face appear, with enormous brown eyes and thin white eyebrows. The face was surrounded by soft white hair. (I love to describe Ryou's face)  
  
"My name is Ryou Bakura. My father is here in the hospital."Ryou said. "A car accident." The woman checked her computer. "Room 44C, intensive care."she said. "That's where you'll find him."  
  
Marik was studying a poster. Ryou went over to him and touched his arm. "Room 44C, Marik."he said. Marik nodded and followed him. He looked at Ryou's back as they walked and thought about Ryou's other half. The spirit of the Millennium Ring had pronounced his name in such a different way. Yami Bakura had never said it, he had spat it out, like it wasn't a name, but a worm. But Ryou said it the way a friend does. Marik suddenly felt guilty. Yami Bakura had stabbed himself in the arm, making Ryou suffer and fall ill. Later he had almost killed him. And he had done it all because Marik had asked him to do so.  
  
It had all been his fault, and now Ryou treated him as if he were a friend. Marik shut his eyes for a second and clenched his jaw, but he was distracted from his thoughts when he suddenly banged into the back of Ryou's head.  
  
Ryou was standing there, frozen like a statue. Marik looked over Ryou's shoulder and saw a man in a hospital-bed. "Your father?"he softly asked. Ryou could not speak, but just nodded. "I can't go in, Marik."he said a few seconds later. "I... I don't have the courage." Marik lay his hand on Ryou's shoulder. "Then we'll go together, Bakura- Kun."he said.  
  
They walked in. Ryou went over to his father's bed and looked at the once tanned face, color reduced to that of ashes. A bandage was wrapped around the head of the older man and a breathing-tube was inserted into his mouth. He could not breathe on his own.  
  
"_Aaaaw, look at your Daddy,_ _'the strongest Daddy in the world'."_Yami Bakura suddenly said. _"Huh! It's_ _no more than a broken toy! Mortals live, mortals die. And when this doll breaks and the stuffing comes out I'll have total control over you."  
_  
Ryou suddenly grabbed in his hair and moaned. Marik looked up. He felt his Millennium Rod pick up the power of another Item.  
  
_"But I do not have the patience to wait until it breaks. I can also break it myself, RIGHT NOW!"_Yami Bakura shouted. Ryou grabbed the metal bars of the bed and breathed heavily. His hair began to take the shape of four bat- like wings. The Millennium Ring broke through his shirt and began to glow. "No!"Ryou groaned. "I won't allow you..." Marik opened his eyes widely and grabbed him by the shoulders. "You must stop him, Bakura! You must!"he shouted. "I'll help you!" Yami Bakura had almost taken control of his host. But then the Millennium Rod appeared in front of his face.  
  
Yami Bakura could not use his powers, since Ryou was still in charge. He gave a furious scream and went back into the Ring. Ryou panted and slid down to the floor. "Thank... you... Marik."he sighed. "He would have killed my Dad, but you stopped him."  
  
A few moments later a doctor walked in and saw Ryou sitting at his father's side. Marik was sitting in a corner of the room. "Hello."he said. "Is he a relative?" "He's my father. "Ryou said. "What can you tell me about his condition?" The doctor looked at a sheet of paper he was holding in his hand. "Well... I'm sorry to tell you, but his condition is deteriorating slowly. He cannot breathe on his own, his lungs are damaged and his brains took quite a blow too. We do not think he will survive."he told Ryou and Marik. Ryou writhed on his chair. He could not breate for a while. When he looked up his eyes were full of tears. "How long do you think he will live?"he hoarsly asked. The doctor shook no. "We can't tell you."he said.  
  
Marik looked at the Rod in his hands. Not so long ago it was inhabited by an evil spirit, who had sent Marik's own father to the world of the Shadows. Marik knew the only person able to also transport souls FROM the Shadow Realm back into the real world was the spirit living inside Ryou's Millennium Ring. But the spirit would probably never do that. Still, Marik had a chance. But if Ryou's father would die nothing could bring him back. No holder of any Millenium Item was able to transport people from death back to life, Yami Bakura neither.  
  
Ryou had finished his conversation with the doctor. He stood and stroked his father over the forehead. "Shall we go now, Bakura-Kun?"Marik asked. "Yes, my Dad needs all the rest he can get, before..."Ryou began, but could not finish his sentence. "You know." Marik stood too and nodded to the doctor. He watched Ryou mumble "Goodbye, Dad." To the unconscious man in the bed and then followed him outside.  
  
On their way back Ryou did not pay attention to the traffic around them. The sentence "We do not think he will survive" kept flying through his head and bounced off against the inside of his skull.  
  
Marik had stopped for a red light. He hit the throttle when it became green again.  
  
But at their right side a car went full speed through the red light. It raced in the direction of the two boys on the bike, ready to drill itself in their flanks.  
  
Marik hit the breaks with an Egyptian curse. Ryou began to scream, a high reedy noise that echoed inside the heads of the people on the streets.  
  
The car hit the breaks too. Marik's bike began to slide over the asfalt. Marik planted hit foot firmly on the floor and made it stop. Ryou was flung off. He made a grab for Marik's jacket, but missed. Marik watched in horror as Ryou's head hit the asfalt with a sickening sound.   
  
Ow, typing-cramps! I'm going to be very mean. I'm not going to reveal to you if Ryou is going to live. HAHAHAHAH!  
  
Meanwhile, Ryou-Ran, Ryou and Yugi are cleaning the mess Yami Bakura had earlier made by vomitting on the floor. Outside Seto Kaiba is once more telling himself how great he finds himself. Yami Bakura is teaching Yami how to laugh evilly, with a little help from Marik.  
  
Yami Bakura: Well, Pharaoh, try to laugh as evilly as possible.  
  
Yami: But I'm not evil.  
  
Yami Bakura: (looks very much like a devil) Just try it!  
  
Yami:OO Okay, if you insist. Hrm: Huhuhuhuhuh. (deadpan faced)  
  
Yami Bakura: No, no, NO!  
  
Marik: CUT!  
  
Yami Bakura: That sucked. First I'll teach you the Random Evil Chuckle, which goes like this: (wind begins to blow) GNA GNA GNA! Got it?  
  
Yami: Gna?  
  
Marik: Gna.  
  
Yami Bakura: Confirmed, gna. And now the Evil Mortal's Laugh. Marik, that's your job.  
  
Marik: Okay, listen at this.  
  
Dark clouds: (pack together, a gust of wind comes in)  
  
Marik: MWUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!  
  
Ryou's bucket: SPLOOSH!  
  
Ryou: Hey, we're trying to clean up!  
  
Yami Bakura: That's fine, we don't mind you cleaning up while we practice.  
  
Ryou, Ryou-Ran and Yugi: --"  
  
Yami Bakura: That was a good one, Marik. Okay, now the Evil Yami Laugh. Listen.  
  
Yami: Listening.  
  
Yami Bakura: GNUAWHAHAHERHAHIHAHOMWAHARHARHARHA! (yeah, well, our Ybakura can really laugh like that)  
  
Lightning: (strikes and hits Seto) SCRAAAAK!  
  
Seto: (is just pointing a finger to the sky) ... and once I'll become the duelmonster-king a... (is hit) Mommy!  
  
Yami Bakura: Well, he passed his examination for a lightning rod.  
  
Yugi: (Has climbed in a wardrobe and has slammed the drawer shut)  
  
Yami: (Is sitting calmly in front of Yami Bakura, hair sticking right back)Ah, so that's the way you do it.  
  
Ryou: (is used to it, and calmly proceeds cleaning up)

Marik: (has launched himself and is sitting in the lamp) That was scary.  
  
Ryou-Ran: (has leaped into the curtains) Marik get out of my lamp!  
  
Marik: Sure. (falls out of the lamp and THROUGH the floor)  
  
Ryou-Ran: (still from the curtains) OO" Oh, well (shrugs) I've always wanted a Marik-shaped hole in the floor. --"  
  
Ryou: (is still cleaning, seems oblivious to everything that has happened) Nanaanananaaaaa....  
  
Ryou-Ran: (jumps out of the curtains, right in Ryou's bucket) SPLASH! EEEK! God, I've had enough of this!  
  
Ryou-Ran: Good. Will Ryou die, or will he live? When will his father die? And is Marik going to send the cardriver to the Shadow Realm? Don't you miss the next exiting episode of Dragonball GT! OOOH, NOOO, NOT AGAIN! (throws herself out of the window)  
  
Ryou: Ryou-Ran, we're on the first floor!  
  
Ryou-Ran: (comes down) ZONK! (sticks up a dirty head) Oh, yes, I forgot.  
  
Yami Bakura: (is weak of laughter)  
  
Lightning: (hits Seto over and over again)  
  
Yugi: (sticks his head out of the drawer) Please review, or we'll for ever be stuck like this.


	5. Darkness Approaches

Two more reviews! Thanks, Murai-Sakura and DreamingChild! And I'm pleased to have noticed I have probably NOT screwed up my first four Final Examns. A bad thing is that one of my teachers died suddenly and the whole school has gotten upset. Another bad thing is that the keyboard is almost empty... I need to get more batteries.  
  
Good, this chapter is called "Darkness Appraoches". That's a Duelmonster- card. I have got a computergame at home, and there Darkness Approaches turns all the cards on your field face-down. The thing is that lots of cards have different effects in our game. Cyber Jar does not have an effect, for example, just like my favorite card Sangan.  
  
Back to the story. Ryou, Ryou-Ran and Yugi have finished cleaning up, Yami is outside gathering Seto and Yami Bakura is sitting in a corner of the room, with puffy red eyes. Marik is using DreamingChild's Millennium Mallet to bang the planks back into the floor.  
  
Ryou-Ran: Ryou, why's your Yami so sad?  
  
Ryou: (goes to ask Yami Bakura) DreamingChild hit him with the Millennium Mallet and he is not allowed to send her to the Shadow Realm. And Marik has got the Mallet.  
  
Yami Bakura: Yeeeheeees! Bwaaaahaaaaah! (throws himself into Ryou's arms)  
  
Marik: Bang bang bang   
  
Yami Bakura: (pouts) It's not fair... I'm gathering all Millennium Items and he gets it. (sends Marik to the Shadow Realm) There.  
  
Ryou-Ran: OO Bring him back right now!  
  
Yami Bakura: No, I don't like him. (drops Ryou)  
  
Ryou: (falls into the hole Marik was working on) AAAAAAAAAHH! (is been ignored)  
  
Ryou-Ran: Yami, bring him back NOW! (meaning Marik)  
  
Yami Bakura: (has a stubborn little boy's look on his face) No.  
  
Ryou-Ran: (brings out pencil and eraser) Do you want me to erase your pants?  
  
Yami Bakura: OO NOOOOOOO! NOT THE PANTS! I'LL BRING HIM BACK RIGHT NOW!  
  
Ryou: Hey! Can someone please help me out? (is still been ignored)  
  
Marik: Whew! I'm here again!  
  
Yugi: Shouldn't we finish the floor right now?  
  
Ryou-Ran: Yeah. Someone may fall into that hole. (well, duh.)  
  
Yami Bakura: OKAY! (kills the floor)  
  
Floor: AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH! (dies)  
  
Yugi: --"I did not mean that.  
  
Marik: Whatever. Let's finish the floor.  
  
Yami Bakura: I just did! (gets red eyes again)  
  
Ryou: (sticks head out of the hole) Hello, what's going o-  
  
Marik: Bang bang bang BONG!  
  
Ryou: XX  
  
Marik: Oops...  
  
Yami Bakura: You knocked my Yadonushi out!  
  
Yugi: Hey, Yami Bakura, with those red eyes you're a Red-Eyes-Bakura- Dragon! Hahahahahahaha... pant pant pant... gasp  
  
Everybody but Ryou: --"  
  
Yami Bakura: (spits fire) What an insult! (folds his claws and wings and shakes his tail)  
  
Yugi: (is on fire) WAAAAH! YAAAAMIIIII!  
  
Ryou-Ran: Okay, now to more serious business.  
  
Marik: Meaning?  
  
Ryou-Ran: The fic, weirdo!  
  
Marik: Ooh, the fic! Of coouurse!   
  
Ryou-Ran: --"Good, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!, but I would love to own Ryou.  
  
Ryou: XX  
  
Yami Bakura: My Light has never been much of a talker.  
  
Darkness Approaches  
  
Ryou rolled over the street and finally stopped a few meters away from the car that had almost hit them. Marik leapt from his bike and ran over to him. Ryou was on his side and did not move. The lower end of his trouserleg was torn and was stained purple.  
  
The driver wanted to go on, but a croud had formed around them and prevented him from moving. He tapped on the steeringwheel and muttered.  
  
Marik knelt down besides Ryou and turned him to his back. He was relieved when he saw Ryou was looking at him from behind the glass of the helmet. He took the helmet off. "Are you hurt, Bakura-Kun?"he asked. Ryou shivered like a leaf and grabbed his leg. "Ow...My leg... it hurts..."he groaned. He pulled up his trouserleg a bit and revealed a nasty graze.  
  
Marik began to boil over like stromboli. He strode over to the car and pulled the driver out by his shirt. "You know what has happened to that boy this morning? Do you know what is going on with him?"he furiously hissed. The driver tried to pry Marik's fingers off, but Marik would not let go. "I don't know and I don't care!"the driver snapped. "His father has had an accident this morning. He's in the hospital, fighting for his dear life! And you almost killed his son!" Marik shouted. Ryou tried to get up and calm him down, but a kind woman gently pushed him back. "Your friend is going to give that culprit what he deserves."she said. "I don't care what happened to the father of that punk!"the driver screamed. "He should have taught his son it's forbidden to race around like that on a motorcycle! If it depends on me, it's just one less lazy bum in this world."  
  
Ryou cringed and gasped. Marik's eyes narrowed. His right hand became a fist. He lashed out and hit the driver firmly on the chin. The older man fell onto his back and blacked out.  
  
Marik walked over to Ryou and slapped an arm around him protectively. "Go ahead! Call the police! I don't care!"he shouted to the bemused croud. "I'll even give you my name! It's Marik Ishtar! That's me! But leave this boy alone! He's been through enough!"  
  
Ryou did not understand why Marik was acting like that. It had been the fault of the driver, not Marik's. But why was Marik acting so strangely? The woman got a package from her purse and got a bandage out of it. She cleaned the cut on Ryou's leg and put the bandage around it. "Thank you, Ma'am."Ryou gratefully said. Marik helped him get up. The woman lay her hand on the arm of the Egyptian boy. "It's not your fault. You did whatever you had to do."she said. Marik clenched his fists and closed his eyes. "Marik-Kun, are you okay?"Ryou asked. Marik looked at him, eyes full of sadness. "Yes, I'm fine. But... you'll never... you'll never understand... not now..."he sighed. He turned away and went to pick up his bike.  
  
Ryou did not understand Marik's behaviour, did not need to understand. Other things were on his mind right now. The accident had temporarily made him forget what had happened to his father that morning, and now the memories struck him with gale-force again. His shoulders drooped as he slowly walked over to Marik. "Marik..."he began. Marik looked up at him. "This hasn't to do anything with you, but I prefer to walk home."Ryou said. "I don't want to be in the traffic any more." Marik stood. "I understand. Let's walk back to the toy shop."he said.  
  
Ryou suddenly froze in place. His hands went for the Ring around his neck. _"Well, Bakura, I must admit you_ _got me worried."_a voice only he could hear came. _"You know your death means my death as well. It was_ _good your friend Marik could react that quickly."_ _"Can't you just leave me alone for a second?"_Ryou cried to him. _"Oh yes, I can. But that does not mean I will. I love hurting you, and I wish to go on hurting_ _you, until your spirit is broken and then I'll be unstoppable!"_ Yami Bakura growled. He hovered his face in front of Ryou's. Ryou looked at the face of his Yami, so much like his, but so different too. _"And now I'm_ _going to take a nap. Make sure you don't bother me any more."_Yami Bakura said. _"You have been_ _bothering **me**!"_Ryou shouted, but Yami Bakura just raised his hand and vanished. Ryou released the Ring and followed Marik to the Turtle Game Shop.  
  
Outside the shop Yugi was sweeping the floor. Yami was standing invisibly to anyone but Yugi at his side. Yami had a worried look in his purple eyes and gazed at the sky. Yugi stopped sweeping. "What is it, Yami?"he asked. Yami looked down at him. "I have the feeling that accident that has happened to Bakura's father was no accident at all."he said in his mistic way. Yugi placed the broom against the wall of the shop. "What do you mean?"he asked. Yami looked up at the sky again. "Today I constantly felt the Millennium Ring's activity. The Spirit of the Ring was very active today. Usually I don't even feel his energy when he is possessing Bakura's body. I think the Spirit is up to something."he said. Yugi's innocent eyes grew big. "You mean the Spirit of the Millennium Ring caused the accident?"he asked. Yami looked down again. "I'm unsure. But whatever the Spirit tries to accomplish... I must stop him. It's my duty as a Pharaoh."he said. "We must protect Bakura. He is very vulnerable, thanks to the accident." He cradled the Millennium Puzzle in his hands.  
  
"There they are!"Yugi said. "But they're walking... and Bakura is limping!" he rushed over to his friends. "Bakura-Kun! What happened?" Ryou looked at the floor and shook no. Marik parked his bike. "An idiot inside a car almost hit us. Bakura fell and hit the ground."he explained. "He has only got a graze on the leg, nothing serious." He took Yugi by the arm and led him away from Ryou. "But I'm worried about the mental damage. The Spirit of the Millennium Ring tried to take over in the hospital. I could just stop him, using my Rod."he softly said. "I believe the Spirit has to do something with it all." Yugi nodded. "That's what Yami thought too."he said. "The Spirit is up to something."  
  
Ryou was brought inside. He did not want to eat anything and only accepted a glass of water. Yugi's mother watched as he emptied the glass. "You must lie down and rest, Ryou."she said. "We're here. You're not alone." One hour later Ryou had finally slept in. The gang watched him sleep. "So you think Yami Bakura has to do something with it?" Tristan asked. Yugi nodded. "Yami said so. And Yami has a sense for those kinds of things. He could feel the energy of the Ring." Joey suddenly leapt up. "Man, I'm going to pull that crazy Spirit out of that Ring and give him a kick he'll never ever forget!"he shouted. Ryou suddenly stirred and sighed. "Sh. You'll wake Bakura, Joey."Téa said. "Does Yami have any idea of what the Spirit wants?" Yugi shook no. "No, but it must be a way to get closer to obtaining all the seven Millennium Items." Tristan looked at Ryou. "Is the Ring active right now?"he asked. "I do not feel it's energy right now."Yami suddenly said. He had taken Yugi's place. "But Yami Bakura is able to cloack his energy. Today he was too energetic to cloack it, but I do not know if he is listening right now."  
  
Yugi's mother came in. She sat down besides Ryou and stroked him over the silver hair. "I feel so sorry for him, that poor boy."she said. "He has no family left." She made her hand rest on Ryou's forehead. "He has got a fever." Yami switched places with Yugi again. Yugi went to the next room and came back with a blanket. He covered Ryou's frail form with it. Ryou flinched his face and let out a trembling sigh. He did not wake up.  
  
In the middle of the night the phone suddenly rang. Mrs Muto went to get it. Yugi and Solomon had been awakened too. They tiptoed past Ryou, who appeared to be asleep, to Yugi's mother. "Yes, speaking. No, he's asleep. Can you tell me anything about his father's condition? What?!"Mrs Muto cried? Yugi and Solomon looked up at her with shock in thier eyes. "Okay. I knew they did the best they could. It's not their fault. Thank you, goodbye."Mrs Muto said. She hung the phone and looked with big eyes at Yugi and Solomon. "That was Domino Hospital."she said. "His father..."  
  
They suddenly heard some noise behind them. Ryou was awake and was sitting upright. His eyes were enormous. His lower lip trembled. "My father... is he..."he stammered. Mrs Muto closed her eyes and shook no.  
  
Ryou balled his fists and began to scream.

* * *

Oof, done. My computer kept asking me if I wanted to install a spell check, every time I pressed back-space. Man, one does really grow tired of that. Another bad thing is that Yu-Gi-Oh! is maybe going to be thrown out of the Jetix. The Jetix is the part of our Dutch Fox Kids that deals mostly with things like the Turtles, Pokémon, What's with Andy and Yu-Gi-Oh! Last week Beyblade was removed from the Jetix already, because the Dutch parents found it "agressive and incredibly boring". They think Yu-Gi-Oh! is no more than a "cunning way to sell expensive playing cards to innocent children". Hgr, adults... Whoops, what do I say? I'm 18 already. That makes me an adult too! EEEEK!  
  
Yami Bakura: Whatever! I'm aged 5000, and do I make a fuss about it?  
  
Ryou-Ran: You've got eternal youth! And thanks to your Ring Ryou doesn't age! I don't have such a Ring.  
  
Yami Bakura: You could use DreamingChild's Millennium Mallet.  
  
Ryou-Ran: No, it belongs to DreamingChild. And Marik is going to give it back to her right away!  
  
Marik:VV Oh, no, I won't!  
  
Ryou-Ran: (Gives Marik a long and penetrating stare)  
  
Marik:OO" Oh, yes, I will!  
  
Ryou: Ow... My head! What... Hey! Where am I?  
  
Yugi: (leaps in Yami Bakura's arms) AAHH! THE FLOOR SPEAKS TO ME!  
  
Ryou: Yugi? What happened?  
  
Yugi: (slaps his arms around YBakura's neck, strangling him) IT KNOWS MY NAME! I'M CURSED!  
  
Yami Bakura: (turns blue) Aaack! Help... can't... breathe...  
  
Marik: Geez, that floor sounds like Bakura. Funny   
  
Ryou-Ran:--"Give me the Mallet, Marik.  
  
Marik: I can't. I don't have it. I just gave it back to DreamingChild.  
  
Ryou-Ran: Oh... whatever. (gets a sledge out of nowhere) Ryou, I'm going to give the floor a little blow so we can get you out.  
  
Ryou: Okay.  
  
BANGCRACK!  
  
Ryou: YIPE!  
  
Marik: I thought you said: "a little blow."  
  
Ryou-Ran: uh... little in a matter of speaking." Hehehe –sigh-  
  
Yami Bakura: Uuuurrrghhh... (collapses)  
  
Yugi: Now there's a new hole in the floor.  
  
Ryou: Yay! How are we going to call it?  
  
Marik: --"  
  
Yami Bakura: XX  
  
Ryou-Ran: Good. Is Yami's suspicion going to be justified? Will Ryou ever catch sleep again? Was Yami Bakura's energy caused by an overdose of coffee? Wait until next Log Entry! This was the StarShip Log, log entry by Captain Ryou-Ran, Stardate.... **I've had enough of this! I'm going to hang myself right now!**


	6. Yami no Hikari

And three more reviews! Thank you, DreamingChild, Hikari Lunar and Murai- Sakura! My whole day good again! Okay, it was good already, exept for the fact that I went out of bed at seven pm to see a particular actor on TV and the show was cancelled, but you only made it better! ME LUV YOU!  
  
Yami Bakura: (comes running in, only wearing underpants and with really weird hair) Pant pant pant... huh?  
  
Ryou-Ran: What is it, Yami Bakura?  
  
Yami Bakura: Why are you standing on air?  
  
Yugi: DreamingChild gave us a hole-proof floor! Isn't that nice of her?  
  
Yami Bakura: (rolls eyes) Good Imhoteb, please save me... You can't stand on air, fools!  
  
Ryou: Is that so?  
  
Marik: I think there's a little bell ringing inside my head.  
  
Bell: RRRRRRIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNGGGGGGG!  
  
Marik: I said: a little bell!  
  
Yami: Yes. But that was my bell.  
  
Marik: (pouts) It's not fair! Why is your bell bigger than mine?  
  
Yami: Because I'm the Pharaoh!  
  
Ryou: Wait... we can't stand on air! My Yami is right!  
  
Ryou-Ran: Oh, yes... we can't. But what is going to happen now?  
  
Gong: BONG!  
  
Ryou: What was that?  
  
Yugi: That was my gong.   
  
Ryou-Ran: Oh, right.  
  
Marik: And why did your gong bong? OO Hey, that rimes! I'm so good!   
  
Yugi: Because I now realize that if we **can't** stand on air, but we **are** standing on air, while we can't stand on **air,** though we **are** standing on air, but nevertheless we are **standing** on air, though we all know it's **inpossible **to stand on ai-  
  
Ryou: OO"  
  
Marik: On with it!  
  
Yugi: That means we should fall down right now.  
  
Ryou-Ran: Oooh! (nods understandingly)  
  
Yami Bakura: Isis, Anubis, Seth, Osiris, Thot, Ra, please SAVE ME!  
  
Ryou: So we should fall.  
  
Everybody but YBakura: (falls)  
  
Ryou: Ow... oh dear.  
  
Marik: AARGHH! VERY RUDE CURSE THAT EXCEEDS THE RATING RYOU-RAN GAVE THIS STORY!  
  
Yami Bakura: Waaahahahahahaaaa! (is weak of laughter again)  
  
Yugi: Say, Yami Bakura. Why are you wearing only your underpants and why do you have got lipstick on your mouth?  
  
Yami Bakura: (big, tragic eyes) Well, first DreamingChild used her Millennium Mallet and made me wear a fishing-net dress, high heels and lipstick. After that some Hikari Lunar guy gave me a blow and then a were- wolf chased me around Domino City! I had to distract that overgrown dog with a bone. But a good thing happened too. I finally got the opportunity to send Murai-Sakura to the Realm of the Shadows! (dances around)  
  
Marik: But she reviewed!  
  
Yami Bakura: She wanted me to.  
  
Ryou: You really look silly like that, dancing around in your underpants, Yami Bakura.  
  
Yami Bakura: We look alike, remember? I can also take them off.  
  
Ryou: NO!  
  
Yami: (is having a very regal giggle-attack)  
  
Yugi: OO  
  
Ryou-Ran: Why.. don't we just... start the fic...  
  
Seto: (suddenly bursts in) I want to do the disclamer! The lightning hit me, so I am pityfull! Okay: Ryou-Ran does not own Yu-Gi-Oh! and thank god not the key to KaibaCorp's vault!  
  
Yami Bakura: Oh, did I hear something about a vault?  
  
Yami no Hikari (dark light)  
  
Yugi tried to calm Ryou down, but Ryou kept screaming. No words were coming from his mouth, just screams. Yugi did not know what to do. He looked at his mother, eyes begging for help. Mrs Muto knew what to do. She took Ryou in her arms and rocked him. Ryou stopped screaming, leaned his hot forehead against her shoulder and began to cry. Yugi ran to the phone and called Téa, Tristan and Joey. Marik, who was staying at Yugi's, had heard Ryou scream and was standing in the door.  
  
Ryou suddenly backed away from Yugi's mother and pulled the Millennium Ring out of his shirt. He took it in his hands and closed his eyes. He bobbed his head, making his bangs cover his eyes.  
  
"What is he doing?"Solomon asked? Yugi looked at Ryou. "He is trying to activate the Ring."he said. The Ring began to glow a faint yellow light. "What is he trying to do?"Yugi's mother asked. Yugi turned to his mother. "Mom, this may be hard to understand, but the jewels Bakura-Kun and I are wearing each contain an ancient spirit. The spirit inside my Millennium Puzzle is a Pharaoh that lived in Egypt five-thousand years ago, but Bakura's item holds the spirit of an evil tombrobber that lived in the same era as the Pharaoh."he tried to explain. Mrs Muto shook no. "I can't believe that."she said. Yugi touched his item with his small hands. "Yami and I will show you it is the truth, Mom."he said. The Puzzle began to glow. "YU-GI-OH!"Yugi shouted. And suddenly Yami was standing before Mrs Muto. "I am sorry if I have shocked you, Ma'am."he thundered. Mrs Muto let out a sigh. "No, now everything becomes clear. I now know why Yugi has been talking so much to himself since he put together that Puzzle."she said. She turned to Ryou.  
  
Téa, Tristan and Joey burst inside and stared at Ryou.  
  
The Ring began to emanate a brighter, golden light. The five pointers moved frantically. Ryou cramped his eyes shut and grinded his teeth. Tiny drops of sweat mingled with the tears on his cheeks.  
  
"The Spirit of the Ring is getting irritated!"Marik reported. "He is coming out!"  
  
Ryou's hair stuck up. His eyelashes grew longer. "Ghaa-haa-aaa!" he uttered. He stretched his back and leapt up. The next moment the seven other people found themselves staring in the cruel face that belonged to the Spirit of the Millennium Ring. "Yadonushi Bakura! Why did you wake me?"he loudly demanded. He bent his back, forced himself out of Ryou's body and formed a temporary body of his own. Ryou was obviously afraid of him and bobbed his head. "My father died."he softly said. He looked up. His brown eyes had gotten black. "You killed him! You destroyed my Dad! And you are going to bring him back!"  
  
Yami Bakura folded his thin arms and huffed. "And what makes you think I can do that?"he asked. Ryou stepped back a bit under his cold stare. "You _will _bring him back!"he screamed.  
  
Yami Bakura lashed out and hit Ryou with a flat hand on the cheek. Ryou fell to the floor, his cheek getting red. "You do not command me, Bakura!"the evil Yami bellowed. "I am your master, you are my slave! You will not give me orders!" Ryou held his cheek and tried to crawl away from him, but Yami Bakura grabbed him by the hair. "I killed your father for a reason, Omote. And you should know I am unable to bring people back from death. Your father is not inside the Shadow Realm; he's dead."his voice came in a deadly whisper. Ryou flinched when he felt the ice-cold breath of his Yami. "I am you master and you are NOTHING!"Yami Bakura told him, shouting the last word. He hurtled Ryou away by his hair and retreated back into the Ring, cackling at himself.  
  
Yami grunted and showed his teeth. Marik's fingers were tightly clasped around the Millennium Rod. Ryou was flat on his stomach on the floor and did not move. Tristan turned him to his back. "He's unconscious."he said. He picked the slender boy up and lay him down on the sofa. _"He weighs no more_ _than a child..."_he thought. _"But that's what he is: a lonely, sad child, with no family but an evil Spirit that_ _uses his body for his own good." _Yami lay his hand on Ryou's forehead. "The Tombrobber killed Bakura's father."he said. "I suspected that already. He wants to break Bakura's soul so he can get full control over his body. Then only I can stop him."  
  
Ryou sighed and touched his swollen cheek. He began to wake up. He slowly opened his eyes and sat up. He took the Ring off and let it fall onto the floor. He slapped his arms around his belly and began to sway his upper body back and forth. His eyes were wide open and he was staring at something only he could see. Tears kept runnig down his cheek. "He is the master, I am the slave... he is the master, I am the slave..."he began to chant to himself, a deadly, self-esteem-killing mantra. "He is the master, I am the slave... he is the master, I am the slave... I am alone... I am... nothing."

* * *

There. Maybe this chapter is a bit shorter than the previous ones, but I did not want to ramble on. This is a very depressing story, so writing it makes me happy. Say, I want to go for the YGO-movie, but only under one condition. There has to be Ryou or Yami Bakura in it. So: Has anyone seen it? And does anyone know if there is any Bakura-activity in it?  
  
Yami Bakura: (is studying a map)  
  
Ryou: (is playing cards with Yugi)  
  
Yugi: (is playing cards with Ryou, dûh)  
  
Yami: (is trying to design a new regal pose that does not make him look like a queer) (oh, no insult intended to all the homosexual people)  
  
Marik: (uses his Rod to make ten flies fly in formation)  
  
Seto: (has left)  
  
Ryou-Ran: (is bored) I'm bored.  
  
Marik: What kind of map is that, Yami Bakura?  
  
Yami Bakura: The map of the KaibaCorp building.  
  
Ryou-Ran: But what are you going to do?  
  
Yami Bakura: I'm going to steal all Kaiba's money, Ping-Ping and cash.  
  
Ryou: That's all the same thing.  
  
Yami Bakura: You don't have to tell me!  
  
Marik: But how do you want to do that?  
  
Yami Bakura: Simple. Break in, open vault, put money in bag, get out, send some people to Shadow Realm, leave building, go home, buy island. See?  
  
Yugi: But Seto has got the key!  
  
Yami Bakura: (dangles key in front of Yugi's face) Don't forget I'm Touzokuou Bakura-Sama! (Thief King Bakura-Sama)  
  
Ryou-Ran: --"Right. Is Ryou going to kill himself? What is Yami going to do? And will Yami Bakura steal Seto's cash? You'll find out in the next episode! Action Man, the greatest hero of them a... I give up. (bashes her head against the wall)  
  
Pegasus: (pokes his head around the door) Did I hear someone call my name?  
  
Yami Bakura: Go away. You're dead.  
  
Pegasus: Oh. That's true. (unfolds a pair of little wings and flies up to heaven)  
  
Please review. 


	7. Broken Glass

Whew, the only title more common that this one is "Change of Heart". This to the reviewers:  
  
Hikari Lunar: Sorry for calling you "guy", Dutch mistake. In Dutch we say "guy" to everybody. My Mom calls me "sonny", though I'm a girl.  
  
Murai-Sakura: Ah, having fun inside the Shadow Realm? I don't know if Yami Bakura wants to bring you back. I'll just threaten him a bit and we'll see. By the way, what did you mean by "Yu-Gi-Oh! king of games"?  
  
Princess of Mirrors: Thanks again for the warnings, but I ask you to please remember this is just a ficcie and not a work of art meant for the Royal Dutch Library.  
  
Ryou-Ran: Say, Ryou, where did your Yami go?  
  
Ryou: He went to rob the KaibaCorp building. Hikari Lunar... uh... took care of Seto, so Yami Bakura should not have much trouble getting in.  
  
Ryou-Ran: What! But what about Murai-Sakura? She's stuck inside the Shadow Realm! And how can she ever kick Seto if she's in there?  
  
Yami: (whistles)  
  
Ryou-Ran: Yami, you go and get Yami Bakura back here. It's your duty as a Pharaoh!  
  
Yami: It's not my Yami. Why doesn't Ryou go get him?  
  
Marik: You are the Pharaoh, so you are responsible of the deeds of the citizens of your country.  
  
Ryou-Ran: Yeah, and Yami Bakura is Egyptian, so it's no more than logical when you go stop him.  
  
Spock: (beams down) I will have to agree with Miss Ryou-Ran and Mister Ishtar. (beams up)  
  
Ryou-Ran: See? The Vulcans are on our side. And besides: If Yami Bakura steals all of Seto's money, gets away with it and you are held responsible; who do you think is going to have to pay it back?  
  
Yami: Yugi.  
  
Yugi: OO"  
  
Yami: Yeah, do you think they are going to prosecute a ghost?  
  
Yugi: Go after him right now!  
  
Yami: Dontwantto. (pouts)  
  
Yugi: Or I'll break the Puzzle.  
  
Yami: (swallows) I'm on my way right now! (runs into the door)  
  
Ryou: Only Shaadi can do that trick, Yami.  
  
Yami: It's not fair... I'm the Pharaoh... (leaves while muttering)  
  
Marik: Hello, what do we have here? (holds an egg)  
  
Ryou-Ran: Be carefull with that! That's my egg!  
  
Ryou: Do you lay eggs?  
  
Ryou-Ran: Yes. I'm one of Murai-Sakura's little chickens, remember? (snatches the egg from Marik's hands and hugs it)  
  
Yugi: OO"2  
  
Yami Bakura: (comes runnig in) Pant pant pant...  
  
Ryou-Ran: Well, did you steal anything?  
  
Yami Bakura: Only this disclaimer. That wretched Pharaoh showed up. (opens bag, disclaimer falls out)  
  
Disclaimer: Ryou-Ran doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh! and I have been stolen! (alarm goes off)  
  
Ryou: OW, MY DELICATE EARS!  
  
Yugi: OO"3  
  
Ryou-Ran: Here, let me handle it. (grabs sledge)  
  
Sledge: BENG BONG BANG BING!  
  
Marik: You've forgotten one!  
  
Sledge: BUNG!  
  
Marik: Yes, now we're complete.  
  
Yugi: OO"4  
  
Ryou-Ran: Okay, I'm going to start the fic. (to the computer) And no, I do not wish to install an auto-correct-function. (Notice: In the Old Series Ryou's hair was blue. In my fic the hair of the younger Ryou will be blue too)  
  
Broken glass  
  
Four days later Ryou's father was to be buried. Naturally Ryou was there, and so were Yugi, Téa, Tristan, Joey, Grandpa Solomon and Mrs Muto. Ryou was sitting in the front row, where the family was supposed to sit. Ryou was sitting there alone. Friends of Ryou's father were given the opportunity to speak, and bring out old memories they had. Ryou did not hear them speak. He did not hear anything. He just stared at the knees of his school-uniform. His mind was empty. No thoughts were crossing his mind. All he felt was emptyness.  
  
Yugi was sitting right behind him and was worried. Ryou hadn't moved in quite a while. He was afraid his friend could have passed out or something like that. He lay his hand on Ryou's shoulder and was glad to feel another hand grab and squeeze it gently. Ryou turned his head around slightly and glanced at him. His eyes were puffy and red. His cheeks were wet. A tiny smile flashed over his face so quickly that Yugi thought he had imagined it. He looked at Téa. When he looked back Ryou had turned his back to him again.  
  
The lady who held the funeral folded her hands. "Will the family of the deceased please come forward?"she asked. Ryou stood and slowly walked to the coffin. He stretched his back and tried very hard not to cry.  
  
Sixteen years ago there had been three Bakura's standing at that exact spot. A man, with a dark blue ponytail and tanned skin. He was carrying a baby on every arm. The one on his left arm was a little girl with blue hair and green eyes, the one on the right arm was a little boy, also with blue hair and radiant green eyes. They were the twins Amane and Ryou Bakura. The man holding them was their father. Their mother was to be buried. The two young children were asleep. Amane grabbed the fabric of her father's sleeve with her tiny fist. Ryou yawned and wiped over his round cheeks.  
  
Twelve years later the same man was standing there again. He still had the blue ponytail, and he was wearing glasses. A twelve year old boy was standing at his side. The colour of his blue hair had faded to a pale light blue. The colour of his eyes had gotten darker. The girl was missing. She was inside the coffin the two Bakura's were standing in front of. Ryou began to cry openly and buried his face in his father's side. His father slapped an arm around Ryou's thin shoulders. "She'll be happy now, Ryou."he said. Ryou looked up at him. "Wasn't she happy enough, Dad? Did she leave us because she wasn't happy?"he asked, his voice breaking. The older man shook no. "I'm sure she was happy enough. But now she will not be in pain any more."he said. Ryou looked at a picture of her sister. His hand went for a ring-shaped pendant hanging down his chest.  
  
Four years later the boy was standing there alone. His form had matured, but had remained skinny. His hair was white and his eyes had gotten brown. His skin was pasty-pale. The Millennium Ring reflected the light of the sun. Ryou knew everybody was looking at him and tried to hold back his tears. His head hurt. His hands clasped into eachother. "Is there anything you'd want to say?"the undertaker asked. Ryou shook no. The woman wanted to hand him a little shovel so he could throw the first soil into the grave, but Ryou denied. He fell to his knees and scooped the soil up with his bare hands. He let the tears stream freely now. He let them stream into his hands and then let the soil mingled with his tears fall into the grave.  
  
_"Man, this is the most boring party I've ever been to."_a voice only he could hear said. Ryou could hear the pointers of his Ring jingle though there was no wind at all and he was sitting completely still. _"Why are you_ _crying, Omote?"_Yami Bakura asked. _"Your father won't come back. No matter what you do, he'll be dead_ _forever."_ Ryou mentally spun around. _"Thank you for reminding me!"_he furiously shouted, tears squirting from his eyes. _"You're welcome."_Yami Bakura said, shrugged and disappeared.  
  
Yugi, Téa, Tristan and Joey walked Ryou home. Mrs Muto and Grandpa Solomon went to the Turtle Game Shop. Ryou unlocked the door and went inside. Joey followed him and fell over a cat. "Oh, Bakura-Kun, I did not know you had a cat."Yugi said. Ryou knelt down besides the cat. It leapt in his arms. "This isn't my cat, actually."he said. "Hi, Mrs Legs. What are you doing here?" Yugi entered the small livingroom and looked at the pictures hanging on the wall. There was a small one of a young woman who was obviously pregnant. She looked quite a lot like Ryou. On another one he could see Mrs Bakura in the middle, with Amane on his right side and Ryou on his left. They all laughed and appeared to have fun. Ryou's hair was blue. His eyes had a radiating green colour. On a third picture only Ryou and his father were visible. Ryou hair was white. His eyes were brown. That picture was shot after Amane's death.  
  
Tristan and the rest had installed themselves and only Ryou and Yugi were still on their feet. Yugi finished looking at the pictures and sat down. Ryou sat down besides Téa, Mrs Legs curled up on his knees. He stared at the pictures Yugi had been looking at and stroked the cat. Mrs Legs began to purr and rubbed her head against Ryou's belly. "I'll have to say goodbye to this all."Ryou suddenly said. "I got a letter this morning. I'll be thrown out of the house." Joey wanted to say something impulsive, but Yugi stopped him. "Why?"Téa asked. Ryou shrugged. "I don't make enough money with my job as a game-designer to live in a house like this."he answered. "I think I will move into my appartment where I used to live before my Dad moved to Domino City. I've never sold it."  
  
A silence fell. Tristan nervously shifted his feet. Téa looked at her hands that were folded in her lap. Joey played with his fingers. Yugi stared at Ryou. Ryou suddenly rose to his feet. "I'll go bring the cat outside."he said. He left and went for the kitchen. They heard him open the door.  
  
Ryou wanted to walk back to the living, but suddenly faced a mirror. He looked at his own reflection. He saw a skinny boy with white hair and a pale face. But suddenly the reflection changed. The hair stuck up. The eyes narrowed. The mouth widened and the teeth grew out to fangs. Yami Bakura's cold face looked at him from the mirror. He grinned.  
  
The gang was alarmed when they suddenly heard the sound of breaking glass. Yugi rushed outside. He found Ryou picking up the pieces of the mirror. The Millennium Ring was lying between the shattered remains. "Bakura?"Yugi warily asked.  
  
Ryou tilted his head. He winced and suppressed a cry. Blood ran down his hand. A piece of glass had cut his finger.

* * *

My God, does this chapter suck!  
  
Ryou-Ran: Say, Yami Bakura, shouldn't you concider bringing Murai-Sakura back from the Shadow Realm?  
  
Yami Bakura: Why would I?  
  
Ryou-Ran: (brings out Magical Pencil and Eraser)

Yami Bakura: OO" Okay, okay, I'll bring her back.  
  
Seto: (stumbles in) Ow... some werewolf dropped a massive boulder on my head...  
  
Marik: Yes, who wouldn't?  
  
Seto: (death glare)  
  
Ryou: AARRGGHH! (dies)  
  
Yugi: OO"  
  
Seto: Oops, wrong one.  
  
Yami Bakura: AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH! (dies too)  
  
Ryou-Ran: What have you done?! You killed Ryou!  
  
Yami: And Yami Bakura.  
  
Ryou-Ran: Yes, Yami Bakura too.  
  
White Magic User Bakura: (pops out of Ryou's left ear, waves a magic wand)  
  
Ryou: YEEEEAAAAHH! (is alive again)  
  
White Magic User Bakura: (big smile, enters Ryou's right ear)  
  
Yami Bakura: (is been resurrected by Zork) RA! CAN A YAMI NEVER GET SOME SLEEP?!  
  
Yugi, Seto, Marik, Ryou-Ran: OO"  
  
Yami Bakura: Oh, Kaiba? There's someone waiting for you in that room. She wants to give you something. (grins evilly)  
  
Seto: (does not notice Yami Bakura's evil grin) Okay. (enters room)  
  
Two seconds later:  
  
Seto: (bursts out of room, holding his backside) Mokubaahaaa! She kicked meehee!  
  
Yami Bakura: (grins as widely as the Ganges) I told you she had something for you.  
  
Seto: You just wait. I've got something for you too. (grabs remote, pushes button)  
  
Laser-beam: (comes from the window and hits Yami Bakura) ZZZAP!  
  
Yami Bakura: (collapses) G.   
  
Seto: Ah, a sattelite can be so convenient. Well, I'm off. Got to run a big company! (walks out of the door, into a big hole) AAAAAAAaaaahhh!  
  
Ryou-Ran: Marik?  
  
Marik: I've always wanted to do that!  
  
Ryou-Ran: --"Whatever. Is Ryou going to get sepsis because of the cut in his finger? Is the insurance-company going to repay the mirror? Will Seto ever crawl out of that hole? You'll find out! Gotta catch'm all. (to herself) Gotta go to the nearest funnyfarm.  
  
Yami: Gotta catch what?  
  
Ryou-Ran: Just forget it.  
  
Please review.


	8. Darkness surrounds

Thanks for the reviews. And I finally got to do my last Examination, so the vacation has started for me already! Not. I need to clean up my room thoroughly, I got fired from my job, so I have to sort out all of my Dad's music (but he does pay me for it) and my school gave me exactly three months to learn speak French. I happen to be extremely good at German, but that isn't going to help me with my French. I weisse nicht ob dass klappen werde. (I don't know if everything will work out well.) No, computer, I do not wish to install an auto-correct-function that's not on the hard-disc, and therefore, should be uploaded from CD-ROM.  
  
Ryou-Ran: Say, Yami, why are you crying?  
  
Yami: (sobs) Hikari Lunar cut my spike off... my beautiful spike! Bwaahaa! (throws his arms around Yugi's neck)  
  
Ryou: (is peering into the hole in front of the door) That's some deep hole.  
  
Marik: Yes, I did my very best on it. (looks around proudly)  
  
Silverwinged Phoenix: (shoots up from the pit, holding Seto in her claws)  
  
Seto: Aah! Help! I'm afraid of heights! I'm afraid of birds too! Put me down!  
  
Silverwinged Phoenix: Okay. (drops Seto, flies away)  
  
Seto: (falls) BWOMP!  
  
Crater: (appears in the ground)  
  
Ryou: Ah, Murai got him out. (sees something flat crawl his way) OO" Yami Bakura!  
  
Marik: What happened to you?  
  
Yami Bakura: Oow... DreamingChild did something Mean and Nasty to me with the Millennium Mallet... my back! (is still flat)  
  
Yugi: Why would she do that?  
  
Yami Bakura: Because I broke Ryou. She had to use a lot of glue to fix him again. Ow ow, my poor back...  
  
Ryou-Ran: Here, I've got a bicycle pump. (sticks end in Yami Bakura's mouth, begins pumping)  
  
Yami: My sweet little spike... sob... grumble...  
  
Yami Bakura: PANG!  
  
Ryou-Ran: Oops... I blew him up... Does anyone have some stickers to fix the leak?  
  
Yami: MY SPIIIKEEE!  
  
Ryou-Ran: Don't worry about your spike, Yami. I'll draw you a new one. There.  
  
Yami: I've got my spike back! I missed you so much, spike! (hugs spike)  
  
Ryou: Here are the stickers.  
  
Yugi: Hey, I've found a magic box, what can be inside it?  
  
Yami: Trust in the Heart of the Cards and you can safely open it, Yugi.  
  
Yugi: What does the Heart of the Cards have to do with a magic box?  
  
Yami: Nothing, but I just felt like saying that.  
  
Yugi: --"(opens box)  
  
Disclaimer: (pops out, knocks Yugi upside-down)  
  
Yami: YUGI!  
  
Yugi: XX  
  
Yami: See? He didn't trust in the Heart of the Cards. That's why that happened.  
  
Disclaimer: Ryou-Ran does not own Yu-Gi-Oh!  
  
Yami Bakura: Ah, I feel like runnig again! (promptly runs into a tree) Argl...  
  
Ryou-Ran: You can say whatever you want, but these guys are an odd lot. Let's start the fic.  
  
Darkness Surrounds  
  
A few days later Ryou had packed his stuff and had moved into his appartment again. Yugi gave him a hand collecting the necessary things and put them into bags. He saw Ryou pick the pictures of his family from the wall and put them into a small bag. Ryou held the picture of him, his father and his sister for a while and looked at it.  
  
_"Huh, your little sister."_Yami Bakura grumbled. _"How cute. A pain in the neck, that's what she was."_ He mentally appeared besides Ryou and looked at the picture._ "Don't you dare say those things about_ _Amane."_Ryou said. He wanted to put it in the bag, but Yami Bakura grabbed his wrist. _"Or what, Omote?"_he asked, his face close to Ryou's . Ryou tried to pull back, but the Yami was too strong for him. He yanked Ryou closer to him, causing his host to drop the picture. The glass cracked. A fissure ran across the throats of the three Bakuras. _"Or what?"_he asked again. Ryou turned away his face, but Yami Bakura grabbed his chin between two cold fingers and forced him to look up._ "She knew there was something about the_ _Millennium Ring. Therefore, she had to disappear. I did not want anyone to be in my way."_he said. He released Ryou. The boy backed away until he hit the wall with his back. _"You... you killed her?"_he stammered. He slid down the wall and landed on his behind on the floor. He began to tremble. Yami Bakura looked down at him with a fiendish grin on his face. _"Yeees."_he hissed. _"I had to slowly get rid of all_ _'disturbing' factors so I could eventually break you. I could not kill them both at once, that would only arise_ _suspisions, so I took my time._ _Think about what I am going to ask you. What are you fightning for?_ _Why don't you just give in and let me do whatever I want to do?"_ Ryou hung his head. He did not know what to do.  
  
Yugi had noticed Ryou had been standing there for more than five minutes in a row, picture still in his hand, a vacant look in his eyes. The little boy walked over to him and pulled his sleeve. "Bakura-Kun?" he asked. Ryou gave no response. Yugi got worried. He had seen that look in Ryou's eyes before, when he was in contact with Yami Bakura._ "Yami, the Spirit of the Ring is talking to Bakura-Kun. This is no good!"_he anxiously told his Yami. Yami quickly changed places with Yugi and appeared besides Ryou. He looked at Ryou's pale face.  
  
Ryou suddenly began to giggle. He threw the picture to the floor and firmly placed his foot on it. When he looked up Yami looked into two cold, brown, bloodshot eyes. Yami Bakura stomped the picture again, spread his arms and began to laugh insanely. "I win!"he shrieked. "Whahahahahaaa! Bakura's broken! Now nothing can stop me any more!" Yami looked at him in disgust. "I will stop you, whatever it takes!"he bellowed. Yami Bakura abruptly stopped laughing, leered at him and grinned evilly. "How do you want to achieve that, Pharaoh?"he asked. Yami raised a hand and pointed at him. "I will stop you. Destiny is at my side."he said. Yami Bakura folded his arms and blew a lock of hair out of his face. "That's what Marik said, before I dueled Yami Marik. I lost."he said. He stared at Yami arrogantly. Yami began to boil over, but Yugi stopped him._ "Don't do him any harm, you know it's Bakura's body he's in."_he said. Yami Bakura had eavesdropped using the Ring and got a very unpleasant grin on his face. "Yes, don't forget, Pharaoh."he said, mimicing Yugi's tone. The very next moment the Ring began to glow and launched an attack that sent Yami sprawling. Yami slid over the floor and banged his head against the door, which woke him up a bit. When he looked up he saw Yami Bakura loom over him. "Duel with me, Pharaoh. I want that Puzzle."the evil Yami growled. A duel disc was attached to his arm. He placed his deck in it. _"Don't duel, Yami."_Yugi said. _"Bakura-Kun is in bad shape. Yami Bakura will have him take the blows when you are dueling him. We can't_ _do that to him."_ Yami growled and looked up at the Spirit of the Ring, who was looking down at him, grinning madly. The Ring wasn't glowing. Yami Bakura did not use it's magic.  
  
_"Yugi, I have a plan."_Yami said. _"He's not listening right now, so he won't find out."_ He mentally discussed the plan with Yugi.  
  
Yami Bakura was so convinced that he would win, that he forgot to listen to what the Pharaoh and his host were discussing. Yami slowly got up, swayed a bit, and activated his duel disc. Yami Bakura activated his too, but before he could play a card Yami suddenly leapt forward and lashed out with his "disced" arm. The round side of the duel disc hit Yami Bakura on his cheekbone. Yami Bakura backed away, hissing in pain. The next moment Yami activated his Millennium Puzzle. "Mind crusher!" he bellowed. The stunned Yami on the other side of the room was hit with full power. He was slammed into the wall, cried out and fell to the floor. When the golden light around him had disappeared Ryou was there, eyes just opened a crack, barely awake. Yami left Yugi's body and formed a temporary body of his own. Yugi gently slapped Ryou in the face and had the Pharaoh get a glass of water for him. Ryou emptied the glass so quickly that part of the water ran down his neck. He looked at Yugi. He tried to hold back his tears. "Amane... he did it..."he said. Yugi and his Yami exchanged glances. "Who did what?"Yugi asked. Ryou picked up the picture with the broken glass. "The Spirit of the Ring killed Amane."he said. He removed the glass and saw the picture was torn. The tearing ran over the throats of the Bakuras. Ryou pushed the sheet of paper against his chest and hid his eyes behind his bangs.

* * *

Done! I'm sorry I wasn't able to update any sooner, but you know, I'm writing secretly, so I don't get the opportunity to write very often. And I suffered from a:  
  
Yugi: What's this? (points at a little lump of rocks standing in the middle of the room)  
  
Ryou-Ran: That's what we call a "writer's block".  
  
Yami: And what does it do?  
  
Yami Bakura: It blocks writing, fool!  
  
Ryou-Ran: Uh... well... kind of.  
  
Ryou: What should we do with it?  
  
Marik: Why don't we throw it into the hole I made?  
  
Ryou-Ran: Okay! Let's. (picks up block, throws it into the hole) There.  
  
A random Earthbound Spirit: (pokes his head out of the hole) Hey, we don't want your rubbish down here! (throws block out of the hole, in Yami Bakura's face)  
  
Yami Bakura: (is angry) Stupid block! Stupid spirit! (sends block and Yami to the Shadow Realm)  
  
Yugi: Yaaaaamiiiii!  
  
Yami Bakura: Oops, wrong spirit! " (brings him back) I can't believe I'm doing this.  
  
Ryou-Ran: --"I'm fresh out of perspiratio... uh... inspiration for this "side-line" story. Okay. What is going to happen in the next story? And is Marik going to do something about that hole? Check out the next episode of Gadget and the Yami-tinis? Geez, this is stupid.


	9. All into darkness

So, what is going to happen in this chappie? You'll find out soon enough! Hey... Yami's crying... what's going on?  
  
Yami: Boohoo, Téa's dead! Murai-Sakura killed Téa!  
  
Yugi: MHF!  
  
Yami Bakura: Twenty stab-wounds... nice score! But I remember the time that I... (nobody listens)  
  
From the bottom of the hole Marik had made earlier: Whaaoooh!  
  
Ryou: (peers into the hole and nearly falls into it) There's a dog in the hole...  
  
Ryou-Ran: No, it's Hikari Lunar. She tried to get Yami, but she fell right into that hole.  
  
Yugi: MHF!!  
  
Marik: (has not been listening) Shall I close the hole now?  
  
Ryou-Ran: Heh, don't you know there's somebody inside? Don't close it!  
  
Yami Bakura: (is been distracted from his story) Yeah, she ows me a bone! (goes on)... so I took him by the hair and stuffed his nose with... (still gets no attention at all)  
  
Yami: sob... sniff... Téa...  
  
Yugi: MHF MHF!  
  
Ryou-Ran: If we cut Ryou's hair off and Bakura's too we can make a rope long enough to get her out.  
  
Ryou: NO!  
  
Marik: If Yami Bakura summons the Change Of Heart card he can have the angel go down and get her out.  
  
Ryou: Great! My hair is saved! (dances around happily)  
  
Ryou-Ran: (sings) Ooooh, Yaaamiii Bakuraaaa!  
  
Yami Bakura: ... and that's how I relieved him of his... what?  
  
Ryou-Ran: We need you to summon the Change Of Heart card to get Hikari Lunar out of that hole  
  
Yami Bakura: Why should I?  
  
Ryou-Ran: She owes you a bone, remember? (wink wink)  
  
Yami Bakura: Oh, yeah, I forgot. I summon the Change Of Heart card!  
  
Change Of Heart: (dives straight into the hole)  
  
Yugi: MHF MHF MHF!  
  
Yami: Whyyyy did you leeeaaave me behiiiind, Téa... sobsniffsob  
  
Change Of heart: (comes out with a wolf in her arms and a bitewound in the leg)  
  
Wolf: (Scrams)  
  
Yami Bakura: HEY! THE BONE! (wants to go after her)  
  
Ryou-Ran: (holds Yami Bakura by the collar)  
  
Yami Bakura: (runs in place)  
  
Ryou-Ran: Yami Bakura, I need Téa for the fic. Will you use Monster Reborn so she'll be alive again? (Ooh, Téa is such a teribble monster)  
  
Yami Bakura: (grudgingly) Okay... BUT I'LL GET THE BONE, HIKARI LUNAR! YOU JUST WAIT!  
  
Téa: (suddenly appears)  
  
Yami: TÉA! I'M SO GLAD! (strangles... er, hugs Téa)  
  
Yugi: MHF MHF $%!!! MHF!  
  
Ryou: OO"  
  
Ryou-Ran: I see... a classic case of Pixy Dust. Good, I need Yuge too, so we'll have to do something about this. (draws a magic wand and waves it)  
  
Yugi: WHEW! GLAD I'M BACK!  
  
Ryou-Ran: Who is going to do the disclaimer this time?  
  
Marik: Me, me, me!  
  
Ryou-Ran: Okay, Marik, it's all yours. (hands Marik the disclaimer, which is wrapped in a nice paper)  
  
Marik: Here it is. (removes paper, disclaimer comes out) Look it's Egyptian. Let me translate it: Ahem...  
  
Ryou: OO Does it say "Ahem"?  
  
Marik: -- No, it says: "Ryou-Ran does not own YGO." Yami, keep your hands off Téa!  
  
Ryou: OO Does it say that too?  
  
Marik: --"No, I said that.  
  
Yugi: (giggle giggle)  
  
Yami Bakura: Good Anubis, please SAVE ME! After I got the bone back from Hikari Lunar, okay?  
  
Ryou-Ran: Let's start the fic before we all go crazy.  
  
Yami Bakura: We are.  
  
All into darkness  
  
Ryou had moved back into his appartment and lived there on his own. The first night Yugi had insisted on staying with him, but after that he stayed there alone. He could not sleep at night and frequently fell asleep in class. The teacher had him stay in detention one day.  
  
Joey was there too. He had once again been drawing a Flame's Swordsman on his test-paper in stead of doing the test. He chewed on his pen and looked at his left. Ryou was sitting a few tables away from him. The white-haired boy was writting something on a sheet of paper. The tip of his tongue was sticking out between his lips. He sat back, read what he had just written, went with his hands through his long hair and began writing again. The teacher left the room to get herself some coffee. Joey stood from his chair and crackled his back. He walked over to Ryou. Ryou did not appear to hear him coming. Joey looked over Ryou's shoulder. He saw Ryou had drawn a picture on the paper, a picture of himself, his father and a young girl Joey recognised as Ryou's sister Amane.  
  
Suddenly Ryou turned his face to him and smiled a bit. Joey turned red and backed away. "I heard you coming, Joey."Ryou softly said. "Did you think I hadn't heard you?" Joey swallowed something and lay a hand on the back of his head. "Uh... at the matter of fact..."he began, but Ryou interrupted. "You must be curious about what I was writing, aren't you?"he said. He turned back to the paper and held it up against the light. "Letters to my mother, my sister and my father. I hope they are alive... somewhere."he said. His voice suddenly grew bitter. "But my letters never reach them. They always come back!" He abruptly stuffed the letter into his satchel and grabbed a clean paper. He planted his elbows on the table and grabbed in his hair. "They don't answer! Why don't they answer?!"he almost cried. Joey stuck a finger into his mouth. "You just said they never reached your..."he began, but Ryou lay a hand on his arm. "Sorry. I... you won't understand."he sighed and began writing again. Joey walked back to his chair and slumped down. He felt sorry for Ryou.  
  
Thar evening Yugi had organised a trip into town to lighten Ryou up a bit, but it wasn't much of a succes. Things did not seem to penetrate Ryou's mind. He stared blankly at something in front of him. He did not even smile when Joey tripped and splashed milkshake all over Tristan.  
  
On their way home Téa walked besides him. Ryou licked his ice-cream, but didn't taste it. "Bakura-San, how are you doing?"Téa asked. Ryou looked up. "Oh, I'm fine."he said. Téa grabbed his arm. "What is the flavour of your ice-cream?"she asked. Ryou looked at it. "Eh... vanilla?"he said. Téa looked in his eyes. "It's raspberry, Bakura-San."she said. Ryou's brown eyes widened a bit. "You're right, Téa. I'm not fine."he said. "But I will be, somehow..."  
  
Suddenly a man jumped in front of the gang while they were walking through a narrow alley. He blocked the way. "Hey, what kind of joke is this?"Joey angrily shouted. "This ain't funny!" The man chuckled. His hand went into his jacket. When he brought it out again a gun was in it. Joey stood back and bumped into Ryou, who was scared to death. "Hand me your goodies!"the thug said. "Cash!" Yugi stepped forward and threw his wallet in a bag the thief was holding. So did Joey and Tristan. The man angrily gestured to Téa and Ryou. "Sweetums, give me your money too!"he snarled. "And yours to, Snowy!" Téa gave him her wallet, followed by Ryou. The thug couldn't resist giving a pat on Téa's backside and pulling Ryou's hair. "Ow!"Ryou cried. "Shut up!"the shocked thug hissed. "Do you want somebody to hear us?" Ryou backed away and pushed himself against the wall.  
  
The thug suddenly spotted Yugo's Millennium Puzzle. He saw the shining gold. He went into Yugi's direction. Yugi could see the eyes of the man were filled with greed. "Your jewel, sonny."he said. "I want it. Give it to me." Yugi protectively covered it with his hands. "No, you can't have it! Please! Don't take my Millennium Puzzle!"he begged. The man grabbed him by the neck. "Here with it."he breathed, his face close to Yugi's. "Or you'll never ever see the sunrise again." Tristan growled.  
  
"I'll show you some pretty STARS!"a reedy voice suddenly shouted. The thug spun around and caught a stick that was aimed for his head on his shoulder. Ryou was holding it. His eyes were full of anger, but were then filled with shock when he saw the thug pointed the gun at him. The man saw the Ring hanging on Ryou's chest. "That wasn't so smart of you, kid."he said. He pointed the gun at Ryou's chest. Ryou raised his hands a bit. "You made me nervous and when I grow nervous my hands always begin to shake." He pulled the trigger. A loud PANG could be heard. Ryou's body jolted as the bullet hit him in the chest. He was slammed into the wall behind him.  
  
Suddenly he raised his head and stretched his back. "It wasn't smart of you to hurt my Hikari."a low voice said. The thug looked into a pair of cold, mean eyes.  
  
Yami Bakura looked at his chest. He saw only a little hole and a bit of blood. He had blocked out Ryou's pain. Thanks to the small amount of blood he thought his host wasn't badly hurt. "I think I'll just let you rot inside the Shadow Realm."he continued. The Millennium Ring began to glow. The thug screamed and then vanished.  
  
Yugi was confused. Yami had witnessed and did not know what had exactly happened to Ryou. Both Yamis did not know what guns were.  
  
Yami Bakura spun on his heels and opened his mouth to speak, but no words were coming from it. Only blood. It ran down his chin. Yami Bakura's eyes widened in shock. "What's... going... on... here?"he spluttered. He forced himself out of Ryou's body. Ryou immediately collapsed and fell into Yugi's arms. Yami Bakura was standing a few meters away from him, wiping the now gold colored blood off his chin and smelling it.  
  
Ryou moaned and opened his brown eyes. He looked at Yugi. More red blood came from the wound in his chest. Yugi held him. Tears began to form in his big purple eyes. Ryou slowly raised a hand. Yugi grabbed it. "Don't cry, Yugi."Ryou said. The others came closer. Yugi began to cry openly. "Oh, Ryou..."he sobbed. Téa called the hospital. "It will take fifteen minutes for them to reach us!"she panicked. "That's too damn-late!"Tristan shouted.  
  
Ryou tried to smile, but grimaced instead. More blood came from his mouth. His delicate face had the color of marble. "Don't cry..."he again said. "I'll be with my sister and my parents again... I'll finally be happy." A soft moan escaped his mouth.  
  
A loud metallic noise suddenly startled them. Yami Bakura had thrown himself against a few garbage-cans. "This can't be happening to me!"he cried. "I'm immortal! I can't die! Not after 5000 years!" He kicked his body around and cried out in hopeless fury and despair.  
  
Joey, Tristan and Téa knelt down besides Ryou and took his hands. Ryou now managed a real smile. "I... I just wanted to thank you for your friendship... and your kindness."he said. "You knew I was carrying an evil heart with me, but did not reject me." He looked at all of his friends. "Thank you." Yugi held him tighter. "Ryou, you aren't nothing. You are a hero. You probably saved our lives!"he said. "Don't listen to your Yami. Yami had come out too and lay a hand on Ryou's thin shoulder. "If everybody in this world was like you there would be no wars any more and no despair. Everybody would feel love and compassion for each other." Joey sobbed. Téa blew her nose. Tristan tried to hold back his tears.  
  
Ryou looked at his Yami. Yami Bakura looked at him. Ryou's brown eyes looked with his black ones. Yami Bakura writhed under Ryou's gaze. "And you..."Ryou said, voice no more than a whisper. "I thank you for having ruined my life." Yami Bakura backed away a bit. His mouth hung open and his eyes had the size of saucers.  
  
Ryou stared at him. But suddenly a convulsion went through his body. He cramped his eyes shut and coughed. More blood flowed over his lips and fell on the Millennium Ring. His chest rose, fell, rose again, fell again... and rose no more. A last, weak sigh escaped his mouth. His face relaxed. His head fell against Yugi's small chest. His fingers released the fingers of his friends. His hand fell onto his chest. "Ryou... no..."Yugi cried. Joey, Téa and Tristan looked crestfallen. Yami wringed his hands.  
  
Suddenly a scream cut through the silence. They looked up. Yami Bakura clutched at his chest and screamed out loud. Golden blood squirted from his chest and from his mouth. The Ring on Ryou's chest had begun to glow. Yami Bakura's scream was cut off. He fell onto his knees, waving his arms like the wings of a dying bird. He then fell on his side, in a pool of his own, undead blood. His eyes were wide open and had glazed over. Horrible, gurgling sounds came from deep inside his chest. He then fell silent. His body was enveloped by a golden light, coming from the Ring on his chest. It blinded all of the people present. When it had extinguished Yami Bakura was gone. The only thing that remained of him was a black stain on the ground shaped like his body.  
  
Yugi bent over the corpse of his friend and cried out loud. Yami stared at the stain on the floor. He tried to hold back his tears too. Far away the wailing sirene of an ambulance was audible.

* * *

Sniff... what did you think of my death-scene? It really touched me... sob. I've been preparing for this scene for months, believe it or not. Wait, this isn't the end of the story yet. Please review! 


	10. Light in Darness

Yes, I killed Ryou. It is fun writing death-scenes. But now I'm having a problem... Murai-Sakura won't give Ryou back to us. How can I ever finish the fic? How am I going to solve this... OUCH!  
  
Yami Bakura: (is runnig in circles, being chased by a werewolf) AAAAAH! MAD DOG! HEEEELP!  
  
Yugi: OO"  
  
Ryou-Ran: (gets up) Ow... (leans out of the window) Come on, Murai! I am going to need Ryou again! And I'm not going to kill him, because he's dead already!  
  
Marik: Shall I use my Millenium Rod and order her to give us Ryou back?  
  
Ryou-Ran: No, you'd better not.  
  
Yami: (leans out of the window, with a very regal expression on his face) Murai-Sakura, as the Pharaoh of Egypt I command you to release Ryou!  
  
Egg: (hits Yami's face) Crack!  
  
Yami: (touches his face, eyes are shut) Blood! AAARGH! YOU KILLED ME!  
  
Ryou-Ran: --"That's what we call "egg", Yami.  
  
Yami Bakura: COULD SOMEONE PLEASE SAVE ME?  
  
Ryou: (stumbles in, a bit blueish)  
  
Ryou-Ran: Did she release you?  
  
Ryou: Yes, but Seto Kaiba had to bribe her. Oh, my throat... Aah! (is been knocked upside-down by Hikari Lunar) SLAM!  
  
Yami Bakura: (jumps in the curtains) MOMMY! RYOU! HELP ME! RA, PLEASE SAVE ME!  
  
Wolf: (is struck by lightning)  
  
Yami Bakura: (looks up at the sky) Thank you, oh sacred Ra! (gets a grumpy look on his ugly face) But that didn't give me my bone back!  
  
Yami: (stumbles around, falls in Yugi's arms) Ooaaargl... she killed me... Yugi, before I die... I want to tell you (cough cough) you have been a great Hikari.... (cough, splutter)  
  
Yugi: OO"  
  
Yami: Trust the Heart of the Cards... (splutter, gurgle) rgl (numbs)  
  
Yugi: --"  
  
Ryou: Oh my... what now?  
  
Yami Bakura: I think I have an idea. (grins evilly) Does anyone have a feather?  
  
Marik: Yes, I do. (expression matches Yami Bakura's)  
  
Yami Bakura: (sticks feather up Yami's nose)  
  
Yami: Aah... Aaah.... AAAACHOOOO! (blows loads of snot in Ryou's face)  
  
Ryou: Oh my goodness... Aaargh! (faints)  
  
Marik: (is weak of laughter)  
  
Yami Bakura: (is flat on the floor, holding his stomach) WAHAHAHAHAHA!  
  
Ryou-Ran: See, Yami? You aren't dead.  
  
Yami: Yes I am... for five-thousand years already!  
  
Ryou-Ran:--"Okay, I'm going to start the fic again. Here comes the disclaimer.  
  
Disclaimer: Ryou-Ran does not own Yu-Gi-Oh! (leaps into throat of laughing Yami Bakura)  
  
Yami Bakura: Wahaha-GLOUK? Huuch, haarch, choking....  
  
Ryou-Ran: --"2 Right, here we go.  
  
Light in darkness  
  
Yugi stared at his own reflection in the mirror and then at his hands. They were clean, but Yugi could still see the blood. Ryou's blood. He made water flow over them and scrubbed, but the blood wouldn't go away. Yami suddenly emerged and grabbed Yugi's wrist. "Yugi, it is not your fault."he said. Yugi turned a wet face at him. His lower-lip trembled. "But he did it to save me! If he did not hit that man I would have been shot and Bakura-Kun would still have been alive!"he cried. "But now he's dead, thanks to me!" He leaned against Yami's shoulder. Yami slapped an arm around him and held him tightly. "Don't feel guilty, Yugi."he said. "Bakura-Kun is happy now."  
  
That afternoon Ryou was to be burried. Yugi, Yami, Joey, Serenity, Yugi's grandfather, Téa, Tristan and Marik, who had delayed his trip back to Egypt were there. After a while Mokuba walked in too, followed by a reluctant Seto. Yugi walked over to the cascet with the body of his friend in it. Yami followed him. Yugi looked at Ryou. Ryou was clad in grey pants, his blue-striped T-shirt and the pale-blue coat he had worn during the Battle City tournament. His slender hands were folded on his chest and partly covered the Millennium Ring. His face looked...empty. The big eyes were closed and there was a vague smile on his lips. But the body just looked like an empty shell.  
  
"Do you believe in the afterlife, Yami?"Yugi asked. He played with the chain his Puzzel was attached to. Yami nodded. "According to our Egyptian religion there is an afterlife."he said. Yugi seemed to have grown a few inches shorter. "Do you think Bakura-Kun will go to heaven?"he asked with a thin voice. "Yes."Yami said, not hesitating a second. "Bakura-Kun was a warm boy, always willing to help others. People like that will go to heaven." Yugi fixed his gaze on the Millennium Ring. "What about Yami Bakura?"he asked. Yami looked at the Ring too. "I don't know. The Spirit of the Millennium Ring died with Bakura-Kun. There is only one way to kill a Spirit like me, or Yami Bakura: you must kill the host."he said. Yugi frowned. "But what about Yami Marik?"he asked. "We destroyed him." Yami looked at the ceiling. "Yami Marik was different. You know: Yami Bakura and I were both humans, long ago. After we died our souls got stuck inside the Ring and the Puzzle. But Yami Marik wasn't human. He was Marik's anger and hatred. He was a demon. We are... I mean... Yami Bakura was a Yami. So am I. But Yami Marik was a different kind of Yami. Thanks to that he could be destroyed without having to kill Marik."  
  
Yugi leaned over to Ryou. "Ryou? Can you hear me? I'm sure you can."he said. "I... why did you do that? Why did you sacrifice yourself? That was stupid!" Ryou of course did not answer. "You wanted each of us to take a card from your deck, didn't you? We did. I picked Puppet Master. But there is one card I think you should have."Yugi said. He opened the little box that was attached to his belt and pulled a card out of it. It was the Change of Heart card. "It's your favorite card, Ryou. Yami and I think you should have it."Yugi sniffled. He stuck the card between Ryou's dead fingers. The little angel displayed on the card smiled.  
  
That night Yugi suffered from nightmares. Again he had to endure the sight of Ryou lying on the floor, covered in blood. Again he saw how the paramedics removed Ryou's shirt, revealed the little hole in his chest and tried to bring him back alive. He saw how they placed two metal discs on Ryou's thin chest and sent thunderbolts through his body. He saw Ryou's body being launched from the ground and slumped down again. Again he could smell the revolting stench coming from the stain that had once been Yami Bakura. And again he could hear the paramedics say Ryou could not be revived any more.  
  
Yugi woke up with a cry. He sat up with a start and looked in the worried face of his Yami. "I saw your dreams."Yami said. "You still feel guitly. It's not your fault." Yugi looked at his hands that were folded in his lap. "It's so hard, Yami."he said. Yami lay a hand on Yugi's shoulder. "I know."he said. "But..." He suddenly stopped. He looked around. His Puzzle had begun to glow. "What is it, Yami?"Yugi asked. Yami frowned. "I feel the power of another Millennium Item."he said. "Somewhere near." Yugi cocked a brow. "Huh? But... Marik is in Egypt, Ishizu too, nobody knows where the Eye is, the Ring is buried with Bakura-Kun... do you think it's Shaadi?"he asked. Yami shook no. "I can feel only one Item. Shaadi has two."he said.  
  
A faint jingle suddenly broke silence. A little golden light appeared in the middle of the room. Yami and Yugi looked at it. The light seemed to grow and suddenly took the shape of the Millennium Ring. "That's the..."Yugi began, but Yami raised his hand. A body began to form around the Ring. It was cast in a golden mist. When the mist vanished they saw it was the angel from the Change of Heart card, but the head wasn't the head of the angel. It was Ryou's. Ryou smiled at the two stunned boys. "Hi, Yugi. Hi, Yami."he said with a hollow voice. Yami and Yugi did not speak, but stared at him rather stupidly. Ryou supressed a giggle in his hand. "Ryou? Is it really you?"Yugi suddenly asked. Ryou nodded. He folded his hands and his wings. "It's me."he said. Yami looked at him with big eyes. "But... I thought you were dead!"he breathlessly said. Ryou smiled sweetly. "I am."he blurted and quickly slapped a hand in front of his mouth. Yugi looked at his small hands. "What is it, Yugi-Kun?"Ryou asked. Yugi raised his head. "It's my fault you're dead."he said. "You saved me, but died instead." Ryou bent over and tapped with his finger on Yugi's cheek. "Don't say nasty things like that, Yugi-Kun."he said. "It was my fault. You are not to be blamed. I hit that man and got shot. It isn't your fault." Yugi's cheek grew warm on the place were Ryou had touched him. Yugi burst out crying. Yami tried to calm him, but did not know what to do. Ryou lay his hand on Yugi's shoulder. It felt like warm water running down Yugi's back. It calmed him. "Don't cry, Yugi."Ryou said. "I'm with my father, mother and sister again. I'm happy now." "Weren't you happy when you were still alive, Ryou?"Yugi shrieked. Ryou smiled sadly. He shook no. "But that's not your fault, Yugi. It was the fault of my Yami. He used me for his own good."he said.  
  
Yami had been thinking. He suddenly raised his head. "Bakura-Kun, do you know what happened to Yami Bakura?"he asked. Ryou looked at the Ring on his chest. "Yes. I'll show you."he answered. His hands formed a circle around the Ring. The pendant began to glow. A golden cloud was formed in front of it and hovered next to Ryou. Yugi and Yami could see something inside the cloud.  
  
It appeared to be a desert. The sand was red and the sky orange. There was one, lonely man pushing a big boulder through the sand. He wore a long, red cloack, a blue skirt, golden bracelets around his wrists and lower-legs and the Millennium Ring. He had a copper skin and white hair. A long scar ran down his right cheek. "Yami Bakura."Yami softly said. "This is how he looked like before he died in Egypt." Yami Bakura set his shoulders under the boulder and managed to shove it a meter farther. Sweat ran down his face and muscular chest. Suddenly he collapsed. The boulder rolled back and crushed his foot. Yami Bakura screamed in pain and held his foot. When he had collected himself again he noticed the boulder had rolled twenty feet back. He winced, went back and began pushing again. His hands were raw and blistered. "That's his punishment."Ryou's voice came. "He has to push that rock over the cliff over there. But as soon as he grows tired the boulder rolls back and he will have to start over again. Most of the time he can evade it, but now it hurt him."  
  
Yami looked at Ryou. Ryou's shadowy side was turned to him, so he could not see the expression on the face of the angel very well. But he did see something glistening in Ryou's eye. "Bakura-Kun... You are sorry for him?"he asked. Ryou looked at him. The cloud vanished. A scream of frustration coming from Yami Bakura as the boulder rolled back again slowly died. Ryou did not answer, but the look on his face said enough. "Bakura- Kun, that Yami tortured you throughout your life! He killed your sister and father! Now he finally gets what he deserves and you feel sorry for him?"Yami incredulously yelled. Yugi quickly slapped a hand in front of Yami's mouth. "It's not part of Bakura's nature to hate people, Yami."he whispered. Yami folded his arms and pouted, thus letting Ryou explode in laughter. Ryou realised there were people asleep and quickly shut up. "Anyway, I have to go now, Yugi and Yami."he said. "I haven't been to everybody yet and the power of the Millennium Ring is limited. I'll have to recharge soon. Goodbye." Yugi suddenly leaped up, swung his arms around Ryou's waist and hugged his chest. Tears streamed down his cheeks. Ryou hugged him warmly. "Yugi, look at your hands."he said. Yugi released Ryou and looked at his hands. They were clean. No blood was on them. "See? It isn't your fault, Yugi."Ryou said. He closed his eyes and smiled. He hugged Yugi again and then went to Yami. Yami did not know what to do. Ryou extended his hand and Yami carefully took it. Warmth spread throughout his arm and chest. It relaxed him. "See you, Yami."Ryou grinned. He released Yami's hand. Yami stood a bit stupidly there, hand still extended. Then he let it fall besides his waist and smiled a bit. Ryou form became vague. "You all took a card from my deck, remember? Thanks to that I will always be with you."he said and then vanished in a cloud of golden mist. The room brcame dark. Yugi lay his head on the pillow and slept in. He did not have any more nightmares after that.  
  
After Ryou's death every time Marik, Yami and Yugi, and Joey dueled they always drew good hands and the right cards. When they were in trouble a little voice told them what to do. Levelheaded Joey and Tristen thought they were just having good luck, but Yugi, Yami, Téa and Marik knew somebody was somehow helping them. They never noticed an angel with white hair looking down at them and smiling.

* * *

Done! Finito! Geez, I finally finished my first fic. The last chapter sucks... I've got to clean Ryou's face or he'll faint again when he wakes up.  
  
Seto: Ouch...  
  
Solomon: It's kind of cramped in here...  
  
Yami Bakura: Will you get your hair out of my nose?!  
  
Yami: Sorry.  
  
Ryou-Ran: (clean, clean)  
  
Yugi: Ow! Watch it! You're standing on me! OW!  
  
Marik: (tries to protect Ryou-Ran's egg) Watch the egg, people, watch the egg!  
  
Ryou: (wakes up) Ung...  
  
Mokuba: Seeeetooooo! Somebody stomped on my toes!  
  
Joey: Hey! I need breathingroom!  
  
Tristan: Say, Serenity, why don't we leave this cramped place and go for a walk?  
  
Serenity: I would love to, but I'm stuck.  
  
Téa: It's good Bombasa isn't here...  
  
Bombasa: Hello!  
  
Evetybody: (throw vases and books at Bombasa, Bombasa runs away)  
  
Marik: (prepares to throw egg) one... two...  
  
Yami Bakura: One-two-three-four All the little duckies are swimming in the pohond, falderalderie! (famous Dutch song, forget about it)  
  
Ryou-Ran: My egg! (snatches egg away)  
  
Shaadi: (appears) OO" (promptly gets weak of laughter, vanishes again)  
  
Yugi: WILL YOU PLEASE GET OFF ME!  
  
Seto: Say, say, say, _say_, You're speaking to the manager of KaibaCorp, you know!  
  
Yugi: I don't care! Even if you were the Pharaoh himself, GET OFF ME!  
  
Ryou: Oh my...  
  
Yami: I am the Pharaoh, and I order you to get off my Hikari!  
  
Seto: And what if I don't?  
  
Yami: Then this. (points at the sky)  
  
Lightning: (hits Seto)  
  
Seto: (is totally black and charred) Oh... I see... (blacks out)  
  
Serenity: $&$%!  
  
Everybody: OO"  
  
Serenity: That bolt stained my favorite pair of hot-pants!  
  
Everybody: --"  
  
It's quite a mad-house in here. Thanks for reading and please review.  
  
Marik: Let's all sing! Should all aquaintance be forgot –Hick- ahand never brought to mind... 


End file.
